Disruptive Influence: The Business Storytelling & Brand Communication Podcast

If you know what you do but struggle to talk about it in a way that lands - this podcast is for you. Most founders, creators, and leaders have the expertise…but not the story , clarity , or communication skills to express it with confidence, conviction, and influence. Disruptive Influence is the storytelling, communication, and executive presence podcast for founders, solopreneurs, and LinkedIn-era leaders who want to communicate with more clarity and power - in meetings, in pitches, in content, and in everyday conversations. Learn how to: turn lived experience into clear, compelling stories communicate with clarity, confidence, and executive presence build a strong POV that attracts the right people sell your ideas, your value, and your vision with conviction unlock the mindset shifts behind real influence and high-perfo

Disruptive Influence: The Business Storytelling & Brand Communication Podcast is a business podcast hosted by Jeff Abracen, with 42 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Jeff Abracen hosts Disruptive Influence: The Business Storytelling & Brand Communication Podcast, a business show with 42 episodes published.

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  Episode #43

  Creativity Isn’t Efficient (and That’s the Point) with Joel Holtby

  Aug 12, 202651 minS5

  Joel Holtby believes creativity should be the most exciting part of any business — not something optimized into submission. As Founder & Global Co-CCO of Courage , one of Canada’s most awarded creative agencies, Joel has helped build work for brands including KFC, KitKat, CIBC, Nescafé and more. In this conversation, Joel & Jeff get into why creativity and efficiency often sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, why people don’t actually hate advertising, how Courage finds human truths that travel beyond borders, and why craft still matters in an AI-powered world. We also talk about the agency’s philosophy of courage, turning down the wrong clients, the story behind KitKat’s security convoy, Joel’s experience creating IKEA’s Lamp 2 , working with people like Seth Rogen and Connor McDavid, and why AI should remain a tool - not become the creative. In this episode: Why creativity is a powerful business driver The difference between courage and risk Why efficiency can work against creativity How simple ideas become memorable through craft Why people don't hate ads - they hate bad ones Creating work that enters culture instead of interrupting it How Courage chooses clients Why brand DNA can be a creative “cheat code” The enduring power of human insight Joel's concern with using AI to replace creative problem-solving Why the next generation of creatives should become sponges, not trend-chasers Chapters 00:00 — People Don't Hate Advertising. They Hate Bad Ads. 00:35 — Meet Joel Holtby & Courage 01:43 — Creativity as a Business Driver 04:02 — Finding the Feeling of a Great Idea 06:05 — Awards, Ego & Finding Joy in the Work 09:25 — Building Courageous Brands 11:02 — Courage's First Big Creative Bet 14:52 — The Secret Sauce of Storytelling 17:50 — Why Creativity Isn't Efficient 20:22 — What Makes Advertising Memorable 23:07 — People Don't Hate Ads - They Hate Bad Ads 25:14 — The KitKat Security Convoy 27:40 — Courage as a Client Filter 30:12 — Rich and Miserable vs. Great Work 32:21 — The Ad That Changed Joel's Creative Philosophy 36:13 — IKEA's Lamp & The Art of the Rug Pull 38:15 — The Pressure of Creating Lamp 2 40:01 — Finding the DNA of a Brand 42:57 — Seth Rogen, Connor McDavid & Celebrity 46:01 — AI vs. Lived Human Experience 49:39 — Advice for the Next Generation of Creatives Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/] If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot. Cover art by Daniel Devoy Music by Stephen Voyce ©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

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  Episode #41

  Don’t Be Better. Be Impossible to Compare: Category Design with Josh Lowman

  Aug 5, 202656 minS5

  What if the secret to building a better business isn’t being slightly better than everyone else - but becoming impossible to compare? Josh Lowman is the founder of Gold Front, a category design studio that helps companies create, define and own their categories. In this conversation, Josh explains why differentiation usually gets ignored, how category strategy can align an entire company and why founders need a simpler place in their minds from which to tell their story. But this episode goes beyond strategy. Josh and Jeff explore the tension between love and money, why wanting financial success doesn’t invalidate meaningful work, what it means to build a personal brand publicly and how Josh is navigating doubt during difficult seasons in his business. They also unpack the rapidly changing relationship between creativity and AI - from Josh’s experiments building an AI-powered operating system for his agency to the increasingly important role of human judgment, emotion and craft. In this episode: • Why being slightly different usually isn’t enough • The two ways a business can own its category • How category strategy aligns founders, marketers and product teams • Why great work alone doesn’t guarantee a great business • Reconciling creativity, purpose, ambition and money • Building a personal brand without treating LinkedIn like a money machine • Sharing uncertainty instead of pretending to have every answer • How Josh built AI agents around Gold Front’s strategy frameworks • The danger of overbuilding with AI • Why processed creativity quickly loses its value • What humans may still contribute that AI cannot • How to find work you genuinely want to do - and frame it differently Chapters 00:00 – We’re All Greedy 00:44 – What Makes a Good Business? 03:13 – The Two Ways to Own Your Category 05:51 – From World-Class Agencies to Gold Front 08:10 – Why Great Work Wasn’t Enough 10:34 – Category Strategy as a Company-Wide Idea 14:19 – How Ready Must a Company Be to Change? 15:19 – Storytelling, Underdogs and Josh’s Deeper Motivation 17:43 – Reconciling Love, Money and Ambition 23:09 – Learning to Actually Sell 24:16 – Becoming Josh Lowman in Public 26:14 – The Complicated Relationship with Content 28:09 – Sharing Doubt When Business Is Down 31:29 – Building an AI-Powered Agency OS 36:11 – The Danger of Overbuilding with AI 37:55 – Turning Expertise into Helpful AI Agents 39:42 – The Builder’s Brain vs. the Storytelling Brain 43:58 – Why AI Creativity Feels Processed 46:55 – Finding the Human Advantage 51:03 – Josh’s Best Advice for Building a Brand 53:06 – The Lifelong Desire to Tell Stories Josh Lowman is the founder of Gold Front. Find him at GoldFront.com and on LinkedIn. Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/] If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot. Cover art by Daniel Devoy Music by Stephen Voyce ©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

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  Episode #40

  Selling Without the Ick: The Psychology of Helping People Decide with Alli Rizacos

  Jul 29, 20261 hourS4

  What if selling wasn’t about convincing someone to choose you - but helping them confidently make the right decision? In this episode of the Disruptive Influence Podcast, Jeff Abracen speaks with Alli Rizacos about selling with more structure, confidence and humanity - without the pressure, manipulation or ick traditionally associated with sales. Alli explains why buyers need three things before they are ready to act: awareness of the real problem, enough urgency to change and trust that you can help them solve it. They explore why your content might not actually be the problem, how imposter syndrome creates awkward sales conversations and why ethical selling means diagnosing before prescribing - even when that means directing someone away from your offer. Alli also reveals the systems beneath her seemingly casual approach, including personally messaging event registrants, qualifying people before they buy and testing offers in the market before building them. In this episode: • Why selling is really about helping people make decisions • The three conditions buyers need before they act • How to diagnose the real problem beneath the symptoms • Why your content might not be the actual issue • The difference between a “bruise” and a “broken bone” problem • How imposter syndrome makes sales conversations uncomfortable • Why personal attention can outperform automation • How systems make sales more repeatable and predictable • Why you should sell and test an offer before fully building it • How to use the language your buyers are already using • Why new entrepreneurs should begin with a market need - not only their passion Chapters 00:00 – Stop overcomplicating the sales conversation 00:47 – What does good selling look like in 2026? 03:10 – Stop selling and start helping people decide 10:27 – The three things every buyer needs before acting 16:00 – Diagnose before you prescribe 22:10 – Ethical selling, commitment and client results 28:26 – Success, pressure and moving the goalposts 30:16 – Why your energy and capacity affect your business 35:19 – Building repeatable and predictable sales systems 37:32 – The personal DM strategy most people overlook 42:17 – How imposter syndrome creates awkward selling 47:13 – Testing your offer in the real market 51:45 – Using the language your buyers actually use 57:12 – Solve the market problem before chasing your passion About Alli Rizacos Alli Rizacos is a sales coach and former corporate sales leader who helps coaches, consultants and service-based entrepreneurs create structured, repeatable sales systems without losing their personality. Drawing on her experience in enterprise sales and her fascination with buyer psychology, Alli teaches entrepreneurs how to clarify their market, strengthen their offers, start better conversations and help buyers make confident decisions—without manipulative tactics or performative sales personas. About the Disruptive Influence Podcast Hosted by Jeff Abracen , Communication Coach & Advisor, and former agency Vice President, Creative Director, The Disruptive Influence Podcast explores how founders, leaders and creative thinkers use communication, storytelling and unconventional ideas to earn attention, build trust and inspire action. Connect with Jeff Abracen on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffabracen/] If you are or know a disruptive influencer who would make a great guest, we'd love to hear from you. Every Like, Share, Subscription and Review means a lot. Cover art by Daniel Devoy Music by Stephen Voyce ©2024-2026 The Disruptive Influence Podcast - Jeff Abracen

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  Episode #38

  Why Most Companies Get Purpose Wrong (And How to Fix It) with Ron Tite

  Mar 28, 202634 minS4

  <p>Agency owner, speaker, and author Ron Tite breaks down why most companies get <b>purpose completely wrong</b> - and how to turn it into a real driver of growth, decision-making, and differentiation.</p><p>Ron is the author of The Purpose of Purpose and has worked with leading brands to help them align what they believe with how they actually operate and grow.</p><p>In this episode, Ron explains:</p><p>-Why most purpose statements are performative (and why people can feel it)<br/>-The shift from “sounding good” to actually driving business results<br/>-The “We believ...

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  Episode #37

  Why Your Brands Needs to Build Out Loud with Jake Karls

  Feb 27, 202646 minS4

  <p>Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker at Mid-Day Squares, joins Jeff Abracen for a fast, fun, and deep conversation on building brands by <b>building out loud</b>. Jake breaks down the origin story behind Mid-Day Squares' “act like a boy band” strategy, why <b>story > features</b>, and how <b>humanization is an unfair advantage</b> in a world obsessed with scale.</p><p>They also unpack the behind-the-scenes reality of growth: therapy as a non-negotiable founder practice, the emotional swing from “nothing to lose” to “everything to lose,” and how a cocoa price crisis pushed MDS to innovate into a new catego...

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