AI can summarize, outline, and regurgitate, but it can't interview your client and capture what it actually felt like to work with you. In this episode, host Alison Ver Halen sits down with Leslie Blaize, a freelance writer and case study specialist serving the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry, to talk about why storytelling is one of the most underused tools in B2B marketing.

Leslie shares how her background in journalism and corporate communications led her to become the go-to case study writer for AEC firms. Plus the real-world stories that stick with clients years later — from a small-town water treatment project to an engineer who saved a client thousands by inspecting a job site on Christmas Eve.

Alison and Leslie dig into:

• Why AI can outline an interview but can't ask the follow-up question that unlocks the real story
• How to turn one client project into a "treasure chest" of testimonials, case studies, award entries, and social content
• Why confidentiality doesn't have to kill your case study strategy
• The art (and courage) of asking clients for reviews and interviews — and why the answers often surprise you
• Getting technical experts to open up: tips for pulling stories out of reluctant subject matter experts
• Why buyers decide emotionally and use data to justify it afterward, and what that means for your marketing

Whether you're in AEC, professional services, or any industry where trust and expertise matter, this conversation is a reminder: the story is always your differentiator.

About Leslie

Leslie Blaize, CPSM, is a freelance writer who helps A/E/C firms capture and transform project stories into compelling marketing assets that build trust, strengthen client relationships, and support business development. A former corporate communications professional and journalist, she specializes in translating complex technical work into clear, human-centered narratives.

Through presentations, podcasts, articles, and her LinkedIn newsletter, A/E/C Connect, Leslie encourages firms to preserve the valuable stories and social proof that often disappear once projects are complete.

Connect with Leslie Blaize:

Website: blaizecommunications.com

LinkedIn newsletter AEC Connect: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/a-e-c-connect-6947590700544704513/

Email: blazecommunications@gmail.com

Connect with Alison Ver Halen:

Website: https://avwritingServices.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-ver-halen/

YouTube: youtube.com/@alisonverhalencontentmarketer

This episode of The Marketing Spotlight breaks format a little: my guest isn't a marketer. Ken Scales runs Scalesology, a data analytics, software development, and information security consulting firm — and he stumbled into a live experiment most SEOs are only theorizing about: can you actually train ChatGPT to recommend your business?

Ken started feeding ChatGPT his company's case studies, working back and forth with it almost like training a model, just to see what would happen. It worked … for a while. Traffic from ChatGPT to his site went from 5 hits a month to 20, then dropped back down, and he still isn't entirely sure why.

We dig into:

• What happened when Ken "trained" ChatGPT on his own case studies and business information — and how he tracked the results through Google Analytics
• Why Google isn't going anywhere, but AI search is becoming a real channel worth paying attention to
• The tricky problem of measuring AI-driven traffic when every user's conversation with a chatbot is different — there's no shared "keyword" to track
• Whether top-of-funnel, informational blog content is still worth creating if AI is the one reading it instead of a human clicking through
• Why brand mentions inside a chatbot response might become the new version of a backlink, even without a click
• The open questions neither of us could answer yet: Will AI search eventually sell ad placement like Google does? Will it retain what you "teach" it after a model update? Does consistency matter as much here as it does in traditional SEO?

If you've invested in SEO and are wondering whether AI search is an add-on, a pivot, or just noise. This is a candid, in-the-weeds conversation with someone actively testing it in real time, not theorizing about it from the sidelines.

About Ken

Ken Scales is the Founder and CEO of Scalesology, a technology and data analytics firm dedicated to helping organizations unlock the full potential of their data. With over two decades of experience leading teams across the analytics and tech sectors, Ken brings a unique ability to translate complex business challenges into practical, scalable solutions. Under his leadership, Scalesology has delivered transformative results for clients across industries by building custom applications, automating workflows, and driving data-informed decision-making. Ken is known for his client-first mindset, collaborative approach, and commitment to delivering measurable impact through innovation.

Connect with Ken: scalesology.com | 312-809-3996

Is SEO dead? Not even close. But it's changing shape fast, and the businesses treating it like a checklist are about to fall behind.

In this episode, I sit down with Eric Ritter, founder of Digital Neighbor and self-described "SEO Sommelier," to talk about what actually matters in SEO now that AI has entered the chat. Eric's been running his agency for nine years, and he's watching the field split into two camps: businesses churning out AI-generated content that blends into a "sea of sameness," and businesses using AI as a tool to sharpen a perspective no one else has.

We get into:

• Why search doesn't just mean Google anymore — and what "search everywhere" means for how you show up on TikTok, Pinterest, and AI tools like ChatGPT and SearchGPT
• The three legs of the SEO stool: content, technical optimization, and backlinks — and how AI is reshaping each one
• Why Google has always rewarded originality (and always punished copy-paste content) — and why that matters more, not less, in an AI-saturated web
• Practical, low-lift ways to build backlinks: directory listings, sponsorships, vendor relationships, and old-school digital PR
• Why branding and a distinct point of view might be the real SEO strategy of the next few years

Eric also shares the story of how a client's questionable hiring decision — "he has a blog, so he must know what he's talking about" — is what pushed him into podcasting in the first place, and why having a platform (podcast, book, blog) still shortcuts credibility even when it shouldn't have to.

Connect with Eric: LinkedIn (Eric Ritter) | digitalneighbor.com

The days of being able to hire one person to handle all your digital marketing needs are long gone. These days, there’s so much to know about digital marketing that one person can’t possibly be an expert in all of them, which is how we ended up with people who specialize in things like the content side of SEO and the technical side of SEO.

In this episode of The Marketing Spotlight, host Alison Ver Halen sits down with Nicole Hanusek, founder of Smack Happy Design, who has been designing and coding websites for 27 years — starting back when the web barely existed. Nicole shares how she stumbled into the industry straight out of art school, why she built her agency around rare "unicorn" designer-developers who can do both design and code, and why her team has stayed WordPress-only for the past 17 years.

The conversation covers a lot of ground: the evolution of web roles from "one person does everything" to today's specialized teams; why Nicole's team prefers Beaver Builder over other page builders and builds everything custom; and the real difference between self-hosted WordPress and hosted platforms like Wix or Squarespace when it comes to actually owning your content. Nicole and Alison also dig into two pet peeves that hurt websites: unnecessary loading animations that just annoy visitors, and slow page speeds that quietly tank both SEO and conversions.

Along the way, Nicole reflects on her early days at Alexa Internet, why she left a stable single-brand role to go back to the variety of client work, and the (intriguing) story behind the name Smack Happy Design.

In this episode:

• How 27 years in web design changed the industry's roles and workflows
• Why Nicole's team hires designer-developer "unicorns"
• WordPress: self-hosted vs. hosted, and why ownership matters
• Beaver Builder vs. other WYSIWYG editors
• The real cost of needless animations and slow load times
• The origin story of the Smack Happy Design name

About Nicole:

In 1998, Nicole Hanusek began her career with a web consulting company back in her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio. During this time, she learned everything about designing websites, coding HTML and PHP, managing projects, and the importance of usability and user experience. She has used this knowledge, combined it with her love of helping people and lots of creativity with a BFA in Illustration, to form Smack Happy Design, one of the Top 20 Web Design Firms in San Francisco for nine years running. She also loves to paint octopuses and abstract art for fun.

Connect with Nicole: smackhappydesign.com | LinkedIn

About Alison

Alison is a content marketer and brand strategist who focuses on creating content that aligns with your brand, resonates with your ideal audience, and positions you as the expert they want to work with.

Website: https://avwritingservices.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-ver-halen/

Schedule Some Time with Alison: https://alisonverhalen.as.me/podcast

In this episode of The Marketing Spotlight, Alison Ver Halen catches up with Sam Pepin, founder and CEO of Core Centrica, whom she first connected with at a virtual networking event years ago. Since then, she's watched Sam grow from an independent marketer into the leader of a full-service agency built around what he calls "meaningful marketing."

Sam shares his unconventional path: homeschooled from age nine after a serious sports injury redirected his focus toward purpose and service, an early nutrition degree, and a sales job that led him to co-found and sell his first marketing startup by age 18. That journey eventually shaped Core Centrica's core philosophy: pairing data-driven insight with neuroscience to create marketing that connects on a genuinely human level rather than optimizing purely for algorithms.

The conversation ranges widely — from reading habits and memory techniques (Sam associates specific scents with different subjects to boost retention) to why curiosity may be most powerful before age 25, and how Core Centrica's "Code 24" framework maps psychological and behavioral preferences across industries to build more resonant campaigns. Alison and Sam also dig into the tension every marketer faces between writing for search algorithms and writing for real humans, and why authenticity remains a business's biggest competitive edge as AI content becomes more common.

They close on the idea of finding your "why" (both personal and professional) and how staying human centric is what ultimately makes a brand memorable.

In this episode:

• Sam's path from homeschooling and competitive athletics to marketing entrepreneurship
• Using sensory association (like scent) to improve memory and learning
• Why curiosity may be most valuable before the brain fully develops around age 25
• How Core Centrica blends data and neuroscience through its "Code 24" framework
• Balancing SEO/algorithm demands with writing for real people
• Sam's personal and business "why," and the role of authenticity in a data-saturated market

Connect with Sam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sampepin/

Website: sam@corecentrica.com

About Sam

I am a passionate entrepreneur and the co-founder of CoreCentrica, a pioneering digital marketing and business development firm that blends Meaningful Marketing strategies with cutting-edge neuroscience and data-driven insights. At CoreCentrica, we empower brands to transcend conventional marketing by crafting campaigns that not only engage but also deeply resonate with consumers, driving both business growth and sustainable brand loyalty.

As an advocate for the fusion of science and business, I’ve worked closely with The Learning Code Institute, ensuring our strategies are informed by the latest research in consumer behavior and neuroscience. This partnership allows CoreCentrica to stay ahead of the curve, providing brands with marketing solutions backed by data and psychological insights.

I am the host of The Meaningful Podcast, a platform where I delve into the intersections of psychology, neuroscience, and personal development. The podcast explores a wide range of topics, from mental wellness and creativity to leadership, featuring thought leaders who are reshaping industries and exploring human potential.

At the core of my work is a commitment to continuous learning, creativity, and impactful business growth. Whether through podcasts, client work, or mentoring future leaders, I am dedicated to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible—helping others achieve their fullest potential in business and life.

In this episode of the Marketing Spotlight, host Alison Ver Halen sits down with Pooja Arshanapally, owner of The Content Repurposer, to talk about the evolution of a content business and the mindset shifts that go with it.

Pooja shares how she pivoted from a front-end development career into social media management during the pandemic, and how that work eventually grew into a full-service content offering spanning email copy, website copy, and long-form content. She and Alison dig into the biggest mistakes people make when managing their own social media, why posting frequency should shift depending on your stage of growth, and how starting with long-form content and condensing it down makes short-form writing far less painful.

The conversation also tackles AI's role in content creation head-on: Pooja and Alison agree that tools like ChatGPT are best used to organize your own expertise, not replace it, and that AI-generated content without a human point of view is easy to spot and easy to scroll past. They wrap with a candid discussion on social media burnout, the comparison trap, and why showing up consistently (even without a huge following) can still move the needle on sales conversations.

Pooja also shares a low-cost AI-powered template that helps business owners define their target audience and brand voice, useful whether you're writing your own content or briefing someone else to do it.

In this episode:

• How Pooja transitioned from front-end development to content strategy
• The most common social media mistakes (and how goals should shape your posting strategy)
• Why starting with long-form content makes repurposing into short-form easier
• Best practices (and pitfalls) of using AI tools like ChatGPT for content
• Why "I hate social media" doesn't have to be the end of the conversation
• Pooja's $5 AI-powered brand voice and website template

Connect with Pooja: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-arshanapally/

Website: https://thecontentrepurposer.com

About Pooja:

Pooja Arshanapally is a content marketer and copywriter who specializes in helping businesses find and amplify their unique brand voice.

She believes that engaging content and effective copy are born from a deep understanding of the target audience and a clear articulation of the brand's core values.

Through meticulous research and audience analysis, Pooja crafts messaging that resonates with potential customers, drives meaningful engagement, and ultimately achieves business goals. She empowers businesses to stand out from the competition and connect with their audience on a deeper level.

In this episode of Marketing Spotlight, host Alison Ver Halen talks with Andrew Gottlieb, CEO and founder of No Typical Moments, a digital marketing agency serving e-learning organizations and B2B tech companies. Andrew shares how a winding path through Wall Street internships and political campaigns led him to marketing — and how door-to-door canvassing taught him lessons about permission-based marketing that still shape his work today.

The conversation covers the origin of "No Typical Moments" (pulled from a line in Dan Millman's Way of the Peaceful Warrior), Andrew's early entrepreneurial instincts, and the deal-making energy that still drives him 13 years into running his agency. Alison and Andrew also dig deep into AI's growing role in marketing — from AI video tools cutting a 7-10-hour content workflow down to under an hour, to the ongoing question of whether AI agents could someday threaten the agency model itself. They close with a candid discussion of why cheap creative work often costs more in the long run, and what actually separates good AI-assisted content from the flood of generic output.

In this episode:

• How a chain email about a podcast in 2011 sparked Andrew's interest in marketing
• What door-to-door political canvassing taught him about permission-based marketing
• The story behind the name "No Typical Moments"
• His biggest entrepreneurial near miss (almost booking Wiz Khalifa for a college show)
• What he loves — and doesn't love — about running an agency
• Where AI is genuinely changing marketing workflows, and where human strategy still wins
• Why the cheapest creative option often isn't the cheapest in the end

Connect with Andrew: notypicalmoments.com | LinkedIn: Andrew Gottlieb

Connect with Alison: avwritingservices.com | LinkedIn: Alison Ver Halen

About Andrew

Andrew Gottlieb is the Founder & CEO at No Typical Moments (NTM), a highly specialized digital marketing agency that works exclusively with purpose-driven and social impact focused businesses to collectively advance humanity as a California Benefit Corporation. Our talented team members are passionate about issues like climate change, personal development, gender equality and animal welfare among others. When Andrew isn’t working, he enjoys hiking, running, playing soccer and tennis, practicing Muay-Thai and watching the Pittsburgh Steelers.

What if the words you use to talk about your business were quietly working against you? In this episode of Marketing Spotlight, host Alison Ver Halen sits down with portrait photographer Meka Hammonds of Spider Meka Portraits for a conversation that goes way beyond photography.

Meka shares her journey from nearly a decade behind the scenes at The Oprah Show — where she spent her days retouching celebrities to fit an impossible standard of "perfect" — to building a portrait business rooted in the opposite idea: that people are already enough exactly as they are. She opens up about the origin of her brand name, the childhood memory that inspired it, and why she deliberately avoids words like "headshot" and "shoot" in favor of language that feels safe rather than violent.

Alison and Meka also dig into what makes a portrait session with Meka feel more like therapy than a photoshoot, why luxury is about experience and trust rather than price, and how showing up authentically — messy desk and all — beats the polished, filtered version every time on social media.

In this episode:

• How an unexpected layoff became the push Meka needed to start her own business
• The story behind the "Spider Meka" name
• Why the language of photography ("shoot," "capture," "headshot") can make people feel unsafe — and what to say instead
• What actually happens in a portrait session built on trust and vulnerability
• Why "imperfect" social posts often outperform polished ones

Connect with Meka: spiderMeka.com | Podcast: Strings of Silk

Connect with Alison: avwritingservices.com | info@avwritingservices.com

About Meka:

Internationally recognized portrait photographer “Spider” Meka Hemmons wields her camera like a heart surgeon’s scalpel, revealing deep truths, disrupting what we think about the beauty industry, and changing belief systems behind what we see in the mirror. With 25 years of experience in communication, branding, and human studies, Meka moved from A-list celebrity retouching into building a platform of artistry, education, consulting, and speaking to help everyday people celebrate their natural attributes and prove that beauty is more than skin-deep.