PodFather

In this episode, Roy sits down with Sam Swirsky, known online as "The Mayor of LinkedIn" and founder of Hilltop Media Partners. Sam shares the inside story of landing his role at Alex Hormozi's Acquisition.com — including the twist that he originally posted the job for his own connections before applying and beating them all to it — and reflects on what it was genuinely like working alongside Alex day to day. They dig deep into practical LinkedIn strategy: why engagement matters more than the algorithm boost, why "instruction-based" posts outperform opinion posts, the two ways content should "hurt" to actually land, and a clever tip for making custom GIFs from your own video clips. The conversation shifts into podcast guesting — Sam's own pivot into helping founders use guest appearances as source material for content — and from there into a genuinely revealing back-and-forth on why podcast download numbers lie, why the "right" show for you might have 50 downloads and be perfect anyway, and why every platform you're hosted on quietly under-reports its own numbers. Roy shares a real example of a guest-turned-business-partner going from 23,000 downloads in five years to 600,000 in three months once real strategy was applied. They close with concrete guidance on how a guest should actually position an offer on someone else's show without it feeling like a sales pitch.

Timestamps

0:02 – Introducing Sam Swirsky and his background with Acquisition.com
1:49 – How Sam landed the job at Acquisition.com — recommending it to others before applying himself
4:03 – Is Alex Hormozi's "full steam ahead" persona real or just for content?
4:32 – Sam's path into LinkedIn: no college degree, COVID layoffs, and catching the platform's rise in 2020
6:07 – How LinkedIn has changed over 15 years, and the platform's constant upsells
7:54 – Why LinkedIn's own feature changes (invite limits, load-more buttons) reflect its evolving priorities
8:34 – Why some posts get massive engagement and others get crickets
8:35 – The difference between opinion-based and instruction-based posts, and why content should "hurt" in two specific ways
12:16 – Sharing podcast clips on LinkedIn: video limits, RSS tracking, and why it's still worth doing
13:34 – Repurposing podcast transcripts as LinkedIn text posts, and the "make your own GIF" trick
16:07 – The ethics of resharing other people's viral content versus creating original value
16:36 – A real example: 3 million views a month with zero resulting business
21:09 – Two categories of social growth: entertainment brands versus business brands
21:09 – Why "more views" is often the wrong goal — funnels, profile clarity, and clear calls to action
23:14 – Why your LinkedIn profile shouldn't read like a job application if you run your own business
23:14 – What actually makes an "offer" versus a vague description of what you do
26:03 – Transitioning into Sam's podcast guesting business
26:23 – Why AI-written LinkedIn content falls flat, and how podcast guesting became Sam's source-material solution
29:54 – The "spray and pray" pitching problem, and why claimed audience numbers are often fake
33:44 – Why the relationship with the podcast host matters more than the guest's own potential leads
36:16 – Roy's real example: a guest who became a client, referral partner, and business collaborator — growing from 23K to 600K downloads in three months
40:48 – Why a niche show with 50 downloads can be worth more than a "top 1%" show
44:39 – Why podcast download and listener numbers are never fully accurate across any platform
46:57 – Regional Apple Podcasts ratings, and how misreading them nearly cost Sam a client opportunity
48:14 – Getting banned from YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook for exposing fraud and corruption — and turning it into content anyway
49:52 – Why chasing distribution across every platform at once usually backfires
50:39 – Old, inflated follower counts from platforms people no longer engage with, and how some hosts misuse those numbers to justify guest fees
53:15 – How a guest should position an offer on a show without it feeling like an advertisement
55:12 – Where to find Sam and what's next for him on YouTube

About Sam Swirsky

Sam Swirsky, known as "The Mayor of LinkedIn," is the founder of Hilltop Media Partners. He spent time as Head of LinkedIn and Facebook at Alex Hormozi's Acquisition.com, and previously served as LinkedIn Brand Strategist for Alex and Leila Hormozi directly, breaking Alex's all-time views record in his first week. He's also worked with Justin Welsh and Tasleem Ahmad Fateh, the #1-ranked LinkedIn creator in the world. Sam now helps founders sharpen their LinkedIn positioning and build a real content funnel, and is expanding into helping founders use strategic podcast guesting to build authority and generate source material for their own content.

Connect with Sam:
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-swirsky/

🔗 About Your Host (Roy Coughlan)
🎙️ Explore more podcasts: Find all podcasts at the PodFather Network
🌐 Website: https://roycoughlan.com/
🤝 Need help running your business? If you are looking for a Virtual Assistant and get reliable support for your daily operations.
👥 Virtual Assistants: https://va.world/
🧠 Brain Upgrade: https://brainupgrade.org/
🌟 Private Members Group: The Authority Alliance — A Foundation of Experts for entrepreneurs, coaches, and thought leaders: https://theauthorityalliance.com/
🤝 Connected Leaders Academy: A Private Networking Group in 50 US States & 49+ Countries with 700+ Members: https://connectedleaders.academy

#LinkedInStrategy #PodcastGuesting #ContentStrategy #PersonalBranding #PodcastGrowth #PodfatherPodcast #DigitalMarketing #SocialMediaStrategy #Networking #ContentCreation

In this episode, Roy sits down with Tyler Henn, founder of Hennhouse Digital Growth Studio, a local SEO agency helping contractors and service businesses get found on Google Maps and now AI platforms. Tyler shares his journey from a UX design degree, to eight years at a car dealership, to a full-commission leap into roofing sales during a Georgia hailstorm, to finally building his own SEO agency from a single free website he offered a friend. They dig deep into how AI search actually works — why ChatGPT and Gemini essentially "Google it for you" when they don't already know an entity, why that makes online content about yourself something you have to actively build rather than wait for, and how easily that process can currently be manipulated. Tyler also breaks down his own podcast production workflow using Riverside and Metricool, his three-stage SEO funnel (using pizza as the running example), why he never lets clients respond to bad reviews, and the surprisingly common myth around using a home address for a Google Business Profile. A genuinely practical, wide-ranging conversation for anyone trying to be found online in 2026.

Timestamps

0:02 – Introducing Tyler Henn and Hennhouse Digital Growth Studio
1:14 – The story behind the "Henn House" name
2:19 – From UX design degree to eight years at a car dealership
6:xx – The leap into full-commission roofing sales during a Georgia hailstorm
10:20 – What happened when a free website he built got suspended over a home address
11:28 – A detour into bad UX design in big platforms like Zoom and LinkedIn
15:23 – Podcast hosting headaches, and why Tyler recommends Riverside
19:26 – How long Tyler's been podcasting and his target guest for the Hennhouse Podcast
21:15 – Comparing podcast hosting platforms and social scheduling with Metricool
25:40 – The real cost and ROI of tools like Metricool
28:42 – Why 27 subscribers is worth celebrating, not dismissing
30:14 – Whether the podcast has generated clients yet
34:06 – How ChatGPT and Gemini decide who to recommend, and why that data has to exist somewhere first
38:28 – Why LinkedIn and other platforms block their data from being scraped by AI tools
41:02 – Why Yelp reviews are so hard to fake, and why they're weighted so heavily by AI
41:50 – The danger of one bad, unrelated review swaying an AI recommendation
44:04 – Why you should never reply to a malicious review — report it instead
44:46 – Dynamic ad insertion and Roy's own struggles with podcast hosting platforms
46:04 – What actually happens when a client signs on with Tyler
52:08 – Why Tyler avoids traditional blog content and uses the search funnel instead
55:52 – Home addresses, PO boxes, and Google Business Profile rules
58:38 – Why chasing algorithm shortcuts backfires, and what actually wins long-term
1:01:47 – Where to find Tyler and the Hennhouse Podcast

About Tyler Henn

Tyler Henn is the founder of Hennhouse Digital Growth Studio, a local SEO agency that helps contractors and service businesses get found on Google, Maps, and AI platforms. With a background in user experience design, Tyler takes a practical, whole-picture approach to digital growth, connecting websites, content, local visibility, reviews, and brand authority. He is also the host of the Hennhouse Podcast, where he speaks with entrepreneurs and marketing leaders about what it really takes to grow a business online.

Connect with Tyler:
🌐 Website: https://www.henn.house/
🎙️ Podcast: The Hennhouse Podcast

🔗 About Your Host (Roy Coughlan)
🎙️ Explore more podcasts: Find all podcasts at the PodFather Network
🌐 Website: https://roycoughlan.com/
🤝 Need help running your business? If you are looking for a Virtual Assistant and get reliable support for your daily operations.
👥 Virtual Assistants: https://va.world/
🧠 Brain Upgrade: https://brainupgrade.org/
🌟 Private Members Group: The Authority Alliance — A Foundation of Experts for entrepreneurs, coaches, and thought leaders: https://theauthorityalliance.com/
🤝 Connected Leaders Academy: A Private Networking Group in 50 US States & 47+ Countries with 700+ Members: https://connectedleaders.academy

#LocalSEO #SEO #DigitalMarketing #AISearch #GoogleBusinessProfile #SmallBusinessMarketing #PodcastProduction #Riverside #ContentStrategy #PodfatherPodcast #MarketingTips #GenerativeEngineOptimization

In this episode, Roy sits down with Richard Wilmore, award-winning talk show host, podcast producer, and the creative force behind Make Your Day Richer. Richard traces his 30-year journey from talking to imaginary guests in his childhood bedroom, to converting his basement into a full studio, to filming a live variety show in front of a comedy club audience with three cameras he had to edit solo. They dig into the real trade-offs between live and recorded interviews, Richard's hybrid approach using tools like StreamYard and EvieMux to make virtual guests look like they're sitting right next to him, and his surprisingly simple hack for a comfortable in-studio backdrop. The conversation turns candid on AI tools for podcasters (and why YouTube's own auto-generated timestamps beat most AI transcription tools), the ongoing debate over charging guests to appear, and the growing problem of hosts and guests who no-show or ghost without so much as a thank-you. Richard also shares his honest take on chasing "bigger" podcasts versus finding the right-fit audience, and the small production habits — clean backgrounds, no blurred-out heads, good audio — that separate a show people trust from one they don't.

About Richard Wilmore

Richard Wilmore is an award-winning talk show host, podcast producer, and the creative engine behind Make Your Day Richer. With 30 years of experience mastering the art of the interview, he brings infectious energy and a classic daytime talk-show vibe to modern digital media — whether editing top-tier content behind the scenes or pushing the boundaries of live video production in front of the camera. Beyond hosting, Richard helps other podcasters and aspiring hosts with studio setup, production, and booking guest appearances as part of their marketing strategy.

Connect with Richard:
Website: makeyourdayricher.com
Instagram: @makeyourdayricher
Facebook: @makeyourdayricher
YouTube: @makeyourdayricher

🔗 About Your Host (Roy Coughlan)
Explore more podcasts: Find all podcasts at the PodFather Network
Website: https://roycoughlan.com/
Need help running your business? If you are looking for a Virtual Assistant and get reliable support for your daily operations.
Virtual Assistants: https://va.world/
Private Networking Group: Learn about a Private Networking Group in 50 US States & 44+ Countries with 675+ Members https://connectedleaders.academy
Brain Upgrade: https://brainupgrade.org/

#PodcastProducer #TalkShowHost #PodcastTips #ContentCreation #VideoProduction #PodcastHost #PodcastGuest #StreamYard #PodcastMarketing #PodcastIndustry #PodcastLife #MakeYourDayRicher #PodfatherPodcast #PodcastCommunity #AIForCreators

Benjamin Behrooz has built a family of branding agencies, Branding Los Angeles, Branding Aloha, Branding Texas, Branding Miami, and Branding New York, on one simple idea: nobody buys from a business they don't trust, and nobody trusts a business they can't find. In this episode Roy and Ben dig into the collision of branding, SEO, and AEO (answer engine optimization), and why construction companies, plumbers, electricians, and other blue collar trades are some of the best proof of concept for it. Ben explains why his agency now spans five markets across the US, why he believes skilled tradespeople are the next generation of millionaires as AI reshapes the job market, and how his team helps businesses become the answer AI actually recommends when someone searches for a licensed, bonded, weekend-available plumber. The conversation covers pricing models for marketing services, why "own your website, own your phone number" matters more than ever, the red flag of a client who's burned through four marketing companies in a year, and Ben's blunt take on why letting a machine fly the plane without a human at the controls is a recipe for disaster.

 

⏱️ TIMESTAMP

0:02 - Welcome to the Podfather Podcast, intro to Benjamin Behrooz
1:03 - Why five branding agencies across five markets
2:25 - Franchise, partnership, or location-based SEO model
4:16 - Working with coaches and the 50/30/20 split of marketing, psychology, and coaching
5:12 - Why blue collar trades are the next generation of millionaires
10:13 - How AI now asks buyers seven to ten questions before a business is even found
11:27 - Pricing models: leads vs. management fees, and owning your website and phone number
18:48 - The red flag of a client who has hired four marketing companies in the past year
21:00 - Why Ben turns ads off once a client is fully booked
23:16 - ChatGPT's partnership with Yelp and how AI search is shifting in real time
24:12 - Working with life coaches, business coaches, and wellness brands
26:08 - Believing in yourself and showing up, Ben's core philosophy
29:21 - Blogs, video, and figuring out where AI actually recommends you
32:15 - AI hallucinations and why you need a human mind behind the machine
32:54 - The five-market vision and what's next: Texas, New York, and family life
35:25 - Where to find Benjamin and how he gives back to the community

 

About Benjamin Behrooz

Ben Behrooz is the Founder and CEO of Branding Los Angeles, Branding Aloha, Branding Texas, Branding Miami, and Branding New York, where he helps businesses grow through strategic branding, SEO, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), public relations, and digital marketing systems designed to deliver measurable results. His work focuses on helping businesses move beyond visibility alone to build lasting authority, generate qualified leads, and drive long-term revenue. He has extensive experience across legal, medical, dental, construction, home services, hospitality, and professional services, where traditional marketing often falls short.

Links

Benjamin
Website: https://www.brandinglosangeles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BrandingLosAngeles
Twitter / X: https://twitter.com/BrandLosAngeles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandinglosangeles/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/branding-los-angeles/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8Qp_sQJMt1NnRoR8EiDMVw

 

Roy
Website: https://roycoughlan.com/
Virtual Assistants: https://va.world/
Private Networking Group (Connected Leaders Academy, 45+ Countries, 685+ Members): https://connectedleaders.academy
Brain Upgrade: https://brainupgrade.org/
Podfather Network: podfather.me

 

#PodfatherPodcast #BenjaminBehrooz #BrandingLosAngeles #BrandingAloha #Branding #SEO #AEO #AnswerEngineOptimization #DigitalMarketing #BlueCollarBusiness #ConstructionMarketing #SmallBusinessGrowth #MarketingStrategy #LeadGeneration #AIMarketing #BusinessGrowth #Entrepreneurship #PodFatherNetwork #RoyCoughlan #MarketingPodcast #TradesBusiness #HomeServiceMarketing #NoAgentList

Being a great podcast guest is a unique skill that can dramatically boost your career—or erode your professional image if done poorly. In the final part of our series, David Goldberg, founder of Edge Studio, shares a masterclass on how to be a standout guest. We explore the importance of prosody, vocal etiquette, and virtual presence, ensuring you show up prepared, confident, and memorable. David and Roy discuss practical tips for handling technical glitches with grace, the power of a 10-second elevator pitch, and why you should never "wing it" when it comes to your audio quality. Whether you're looking to share your passion or boost your resume, these final lessons will ensure you're the guest every host wants to invite back.

 

 

⏱️ Accurate YouTube Chapters & Timestamps

0:00 Welcome & Introduction to David Goldberg
 
1:11 Why Be a Guest? Fun, passion, and career boosting
 
1:41 The Risk of Poor Guesting: How it can erode your professional image
 
2:23 Preparation: Why looking at notes is better than forgetting points
 
3:41 Banter and Connection: The importance of host-guest chemistry
 
4:33 Prosody for Guests: Staying in your natural pitch and tailoring your tone
 
6:56 International Audiences: Cleaning up enunciation and avoiding local slang
 
7:00 Volume and Headphones: Why you should never scream at your audience
 
7:50 Pacing and Spacing: Lessening your words and leaving room for the listener
 
26:00 Handling Glitches: Staying calm and reacting without panic
 
28:00 Vocal Etiquette: Giving the host space and avoiding interruptions
 
29:00 The 10-Second Elevator Pitch: Being prepared to explain who you are
 
31:00 Listening to Previous Episodes: Researching the host's style and theme
 
32:00 Slowing Down Keywords: Ensuring your name and business are heard
 
33:00 Admitting You Don't Know: Admitting it with confidence vs. waffling
 
35:00 Virtual Presence: Testing quality a week before and an hour before
 
37:00 The 25% Credibility Hit: Why audio quality is non-negotiable
 
39:00 Acoustic Treatment: The 80% rule and practical "pillow fort" tips
 
41:00 Microphone Choice: Investing in a decent USB mic for professional sound
 
64:00 Avoiding Filler Words: Cutting out "um," "ah," "you know," and "like"
 
65:00 Responding with "So": Why you should avoid starting answers with "so"
 
66:00 Positive Reaffirmation: Avoiding annoying "yeah, yeah, yeah" interruptions
 
67:36 Where to Find David: Edge Studio and final contact details
 
68:25 Outro: RoyCoughlan.com and the PodFather Network
 
68:42 End of Episode

 

 

🔗 Where to Find David Goldberg

•Email: david@edgestudio.com
 

•Website: EdgeStudio.com
 

•Services: Voiceover recording, directing, and communication coaching.

🔗 About Your Host (Roy Coughlan)

•Listen to this episode on Podbean: https://awakeningpodcasts.podbean.com/
 

•Explore more podcasts: Find all podcasts at the PodFather Network
 

•Website: RoyCoughlan.com
 

•Need help running your business? If you are looking for a Virtual Assistant and get reliable support for your daily operations.

•Virtual Assistants: VA.world

 

•Private Networking Group: Learn about a Private Networking Group in 50 US States & 39 Countries with 640+ Members https://connectedleaders.academy/
 

•Brain Upgrade: BrainUpgrade.org

 

 

#DavidGoldberg #PodFather #PodcastGuest #GuestingTips #ProfessionalPresence #VocalEtiquette #PublicSpeaking #CareerBoost #AudioQuality #ElevatorPitch #EdgeStudio #RoyCoughlan #PodcastSuccess #CommunicationSkills #StandoutGuest