Is Anything Real In Paid Advertising?

It's time for another Exclusive Drop you don't want to miss!

Leadership isn’t forged at the summit: it’s forged in the storm.

In this powerful conversation, Chuck Garcia, Columbia University professor, author, and founder of Climb Leadership, joins host Adam W. Barney to unpack what it really means to climb with resilience, emotional intelligence, and purpose .

Mountains and boardrooms share the same truth: the climb test...

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, host Adam W. Barney sits down with Alex Steele, Founder & CEO of Opal, to unpack how agencies can unlock growth by rethinking how they bank.

💡 Alex shares the story of building Opal — the fintech platform redefining how ad agencies and creators manage cash flow and credit.

From partnering with Visa to solving the agency payment bottleneck, this conversation g...

In a world where ads fight for attention and algorithms dictate visibility, one thing still cuts through the noise: storytelling.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with MK McGowan, Founder of MK McGowan Studios, to explore how narrative isn’t just marketing — it’s the difference between being ignored and being unforgettable.

We dive into:

✨ Why narrative intelligence matters more tha...

AI in sales and marketing isn’t about replacing people: it’s about amplifying them.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Joe Apfelbaum, Founder of evyAI and CEO of Ajax Union, to unpack what it really takes to scale authentic relationships in the age of AI.

Joe shares his journey from building 100+ websites a year, to scaling Ajax Union into one of the fastest-growing companies in...

Most companies pour money into marketing without connecting it to revenue. Jason Kramer, Founder & CEO of Cultivize, shows how to turn CRM, lead scoring, and simple attribution into hard ROI...and why many campaigns should be trimmed, not scaled.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How a 25-year roofing company cut ~$50k in wasted ad spend by tracking every channel (QRs, call prompts, landing pages) and tying it back ...

Most entrepreneurs feel the pressure to run ads before they’ve built a foundation. Abu Kamara, Co-Founder of Green Zone Solutions, took a different path. In just 18 months, he built a consulting business around sustainability, logistics, and operational performance - all through relationships, referrals, and trust, not ad spend.

In this episode, we cover:

• How Green Zone went from wide-net consulting to honing in on m...

The AI wave is reshaping industries faster than most leaders can process. Few people have navigated it from as many angles as Mike Todasco,  former Head of Innovation at PayPal, Visiting Fellow at the James Silberrad Brown Center for Artificial Intelligence at San Diego State University, and holder of 100+ patents.

In this Exclusive Drop episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, host Adam W. Barney and Mike dig ...

AI that actually delivers.

Vinod Kumar, CEO & Co-Founder of Syntheum AI, joins host Adam W. Barney to talk about clarity, discipline, and why most brands chase paid ads before they’ve earned the right. From building agentic AI tools for merchandisers to pioneering the idea of being “seed-strapped,” Vinod shares how founders can scale smarter without burning budgets.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Adv...

Forget vanity metrics. Noel Geer, CEO & Founder of Connected Interactive, joins host Adam W. Barney to reveal why most brands are wasting money chasing CPMs and ROAS...and how focusing on lifetime value unlocks real, lasting growth.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, we dive into:

• Why 84% of purchases still happen offline - and how to tie them back to digital
• The hidden cost of ad fraud (and...

Forget paid tricks. Priyanka Mishra, Business Head of Fuzia Talent, joins host Adam W. Barney to break down how she scaled a global, women-led platform to over 10 million users - without relying on gimmicks or inflated metrics.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, we dive into:

• Building emotional trust in a data-obsessed ecosystem
• How Fuzia empowers creators across 35+ countries
• Why most ad impress...

“AI without strategy is chaos.”

Lucy Wang, Co-Founder & CEO of Pocketflows, joins me for a straight-talking breakdown of what’s real in small business marketing today. From funnel nightmares to the trap of instant gratification, Lucy calls out the shortcuts that sabotage founders—and shows us what sustainable growth really takes.

Inside this episode, we dig into:

• 🚦 Why “cookie-cutter” AI marketing fails s...

Too many agencies are drowning clients in dashboards, vanity metrics, and pretty charts that don’t move the needle. Ryan Stevens is here to burn that to the ground.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, Adam W. Barney sits down with Ryan, Founder of Digital Reference and the guy agencies call when they want their data to actually tell the truth.

We dig into:

• The difference between “reporting” and r...

Anthony Tsigourakos, co-founder of SmartSpend Advertising and growth advisor at Good Name Consulting, knows the hidden costs of scaling. After helping dozens of agencies break through plateaus, he’s learned that real growth isn’t just about adding clients or revenue…it’s about protecting your capacity, your margins, and your energy.

In this episode, we dive into:

• Why most agencies think they’re scaling when they’re a...

What actually works when paid ads stop performing?

In this episode, Patrick Cumming, Head of Marketing at KleintBoost, joins Adam W. Barney to cut through the noise and talk shop: what’s real, what’s BS, and why most agencies are still chasing vanity metrics.

We go deep on:

• 💥 How to audit your funnel without losing your mind
• 📊 The real KPIs that matter for sustainable growth
• 🧠 Client psychology, performance myths...

What do you do when Google, Meta, TikTok, and every other ad platform shut the door in your face? You break the rules, rewrite the playbook, and scale anyway.

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I talk with Pauline Schmiechen: badass founder, consultant, and builder of multiple high-traffic adult platforms, who’s thriving in the shadows of mainstream media.

With 3 million+ users a month and zero...

In Episode 07 of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, we dive deep with Lea Miner, Founder of Intention & Insight, who’s building something truly different: a business rooted in resonance, not just reach.

What started as a small somatic journey experiment on Meetup grew to a thriving 600+ person community in just six months, without a dollar in ad spend.

We unpack:

• Why marketing fails when you skip the “why”
• The ...

What if the real growth play wasn’t grinding on social media or spending wildly on ads?

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Ziv Raviv, Founder & CEO of Kivi Media, creator of Daily Cookie, host of Beyond Six Figures, and author of The Fully Booked Coach, for a masterclass in scaling through soul-first strategy.

Ziv built a $600K/year coaching business without burning out on c...

Nuria Garcia of NbN Marketing joins me for a raw dive into the behind-the-scenes reality of creator-led growth. From ad platform bias to client miseducation, this episode unpacks the truth about scaling creative work with integrity, even when it gets messy.

We cover:

• The hidden constraints behind Meta Ads and TikTok
• What Nuria does when client scripts kill performance
• Why real storytelling still wins in 2025
• Building an...

AI may be getting flashier, but is it making your creative work better or just…blobbier?

In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Christina Magaña, Founder of Modish Creative and creative strategist behind some of the most vibrant, soulful branding campaigns in the game.

We dive into:

• Why AI-generated visuals are hitting a ceiling (and sometimes a wall)
• What agencies are missing...