Rob Pacinelli is the VP and co-founder of The Best Media. In this episode, we explore Rob's journey from starting in his parents' basement to building an agency that's worked with 70-80 employees over the years, his evolution from e-commerce to full-service digital marketing, and how he's now pioneering AI-powered lead reactivation through their innovative "Sales Android" technology.

Rob shares hard-won lessons about hiring experts over beginners, the costly mistakes of trying to wear too many hats, and why he'd rather pay more for professionals than waste time training. We dive deep into The Best Media's transformation toward AI automation, exploring their custom GPT solutions, AI video production workflows using Sora and HeyGen, and how they're helping clients convert dead leads into sales with 24/7 automated systems.

If you're an agency owner, entrepreneur, or marketer looking to understand how AI is reshaping digital marketing operations—from lead reactivation to video production—this conversation delivers tactical insights you can implement immediately.

• Building a digital marketing agency from scratch in a parents' basement
• The evolution from e-commerce to full-service agency over 23 years
• Hiring lessons: Why paying experts more saves money in the long run
• Managing 70-80 employees over time and what Rob Learned
• AI-powered lead reactivation and the "Sales Android" concept
• Custom GPT development for business automation
• AI video production using Sora, HeyGen, and Runway
• The future of videographers in an AI-driven world
• Notebook LM for content repurposing and brand voice extraction
• Balancing human creativity with AI efficiency

01:22 – Rob's Oakville connection and early client stories03:46 – Starting in the parents' basement after university (2000)05:11 – First client: An e-commerce business, not an agency client07:32 – Hiring the first employee: A high school friend as web developer09:12 – Managing multiple services: SEO, paid ads, websites simultaneously11:47 – The expert-only hiring philosophy: Why Rob stopped training beginners14:23 – 70-80 employees over 23 years: Key lessons on delegation16:45 – Client retention challenges: "Do 1,000 things right, one mistake and you're fired"18:34 – Why specialization beats generalization in agency services21:15 – The transition to AI: Lead reactivation and Sales Androids explained24:08 – Custom GPT development: Rob's personal AI clone project26:42 – AI video production workflow: Sora, HeyGen, and Runway integration29:33 – Creating videos from two photos: The AI video revolution32:17 – Overcoming Sora's content restrictions: The Godzilla vs King Kong example35:20 – The "resubmit hack": Getting rejected AI prompts accepted37:44 – Will AI replace videographers? Rob's perspective on evolution vs replacement40:28 – The modern videographer: Combining in-person shoots with AI tools43:15 – Notebook LM deep dive: Extracting grammar and speaking style for AIContact:

• Website: TheBestMedia.com
• Email: roberto@thebestmedia.com
• LinkedIn: Roberto Pacinelli

• Sora – AI video generation
• HeyGen – AI avatar and video creation
• Runway – AI video editing and effects
• Notebook LM – Content analysis and repurposing
• Custom GPT – Personalized AI assistants
• ChatGPT – AI language model

Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe to Drop The Mic and leave a 5-star review on your podcast platform. New episodes drop weekly featuring entrepreneurs, marketers, and business leaders sharing transformation stories and tactical growth strategies.

Drop The Mic with Jason Hunt - Where marketing meets AI, storytelling, and real business results.

Digital Marketing Done For You

Rick Delisi is a customer experience researcher, author, and thought leader who has spent over 20 years studying customer service from the rotary phone era to today's AI-powered solutions. As co-author of The Effortless Experience and Digital Customer Service, Rick has pioneered the understanding that reducing customer effort—not maximizing satisfaction—is the key to building loyalty.

In this episode, we explore how AI is finally making it possible to eliminate bad customer service interactions entirely. Rick breaks down the concept of "AI for All" at Glia, where AI handles routine inquiries while empowering human agents with supercharged tools for complex, emotional interactions. We discuss the balance between efficiency and experience, the dangers of AI dependency, and why the best creativity now comes from asking questions no one's thought to ask before.

🔑 Topics Covered:

• Why customer effort predicts loyalty better than satisfaction or NPS
• The dual role of AI: external automation + internal agent empowerment
• How AI can create both efficiency and exceptional experience simultaneously
• The "channelest platform" that seamlessly blends digital, voice, and AI
• Overcoming fears about AI replacing human connection in customer service
• Using AI as a journalist and creative professional without losing authenticity
• The importance of industry-specific AI vs. horizontal approaches
• Voice AI and meeting customers across all demographics

⏱️ Timestamps:
03:15 – Rick's 20-year journey researching customer service
05:45 – The singular passion: eliminating bad customer service
08:30 – Why AI is the hero of the customer service story
11:20 – The learning curve: Can AI really provide better service than humans?
14:40 – "AI for All" at Glia: External automation + internal empowerment
18:25 – How the channelest platform works in practice
22:10 – Customer effort: The best predictor of loyalty
26:35 – How journalists can use AI without losing their craft
30:50 – The danger of AI dependency stifling creativity
35:20 – The new creativity: Asking questions no one's thought to ask

🔗 Connect with Rick:

• Website: glia.com

• Books: The Effortless Experience & Digital Customer Service

📩 Enjoyed this episode? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review to stay updated with new episodes every week! - https://jayhunt.social

Nick Musica was running a CBD publisher when Google's May 2019 algorithm update wiped his traffic overnight—dropping from page 1 to oblivion. With four weeks until he'd need to fire his entire team, he made a decision that would never make it into a Harvard Business Review case study: quit with zero contracts lined up and figure it out as he went.

AEO vs SEO: The Numbers Don't LieWhen answer engines drive 1% of traffic and traditional search drives 16%, where should your budget actually go? Nick dismantles the AEO hype with real traffic data and marketing mix strategy.

The "Zero Contracts" Launch StrategyHow quitting his job with literally no clients lined up led to 60 billable hours per week within two weeks. His entire business plan: "I'm going to make this work."

When SEO Becomes Your Business Model (The Risk)Why affiliate sites and publishers live and die by algorithm updates, and how to build a more resilient business that uses SEO as a channel, not a crutch.

AI Content's Fatal FlawThe "vanilla problem" with AI-generated content and why it's creating a race to mediocrity in search results. Spoiler: Google can detect patterns.

From SEO Consultant to Executive CoachThe Harrison Assessment revelation that changed everything, and why most "SEO problems" are actually organizational dysfunction in disguise.

• Nick's Website: https://nickmusica.com

• Website: https://jayhunt.social
• Amplify Your Brand Community: https://www.skool.com/ayb
• Instagram: @jayhuntofficial
• LinkedIn: /socialmediaspeaker
• TikTok: @jayhuntofficial

💬 Drop your truth: What percentage of your marketing budget is going to AI hype versus proven channels like SEO? Be honest in the comments.

🎙️ Subscribe for unfiltered conversations with marketers who've survived algorithm apocalypses and lived to tell the tale.

00:00 — Intro: Google algorithm wipes CBD publisher overnight02:15 — The "I'm going to make it work" business plan (zero clients to 60 hours/week)03:35 — Digital marketing background since 2003, SEO agency journey04:22 — $6K/month SEO firm disaster & pivot to training06:28 — SEO career evolution & learning from Shari Thurow mentorship08:15 — Google algorithm changes & position sensitivity explained10:12 — Why using SEO as your business model is dangerous (affiliates/publishers)11:35 — AI overviews as billboard advertising vs click-generating funnels13:42 — Answer engines are just SERP extensions, not replacements15:15 — "Shitty SEO" reality check — the basics still haven't changed18:28 — The AEO vs SEO debate: structure for readers, not algorithms20:45 — Marketing mix truth bomb: 16% SEO traffic vs 1% ChatGPT traffic23:28 — AI-generated content's "vanilla problem" & detection patterns26:15 — Local SEO simplification: focus on Google Business Profile fundamentals29:42 — Marketing mix strategy: balancing short-term wins vs long-term growth32:15 — Direct response crisis mode for lawyers & real estate agents35:08 — SEO timeline expectations: process vs performance metrics38:22 — Coaching transition story via Harrison Assessment behavioral tool41:35 — Organizational dysfunction masking itself as "SEO problems"44:08 — Identity shift: from "SEO guy who coaches" to "coach who runs SEO"