Get ready for this special episode that you needed to hear years ago.

Let me say this plainly: Working for someone else is the riskiest thing you can do right now.

For decades, we believed that a "good job" was the ultimate security.
A steady paycheck.
Healthcare.
Maybe a 401(k) with a match.

But that model is falling apart in real time.

I’ve seen this from the inside. I’ve been the employee. I’ve been the boss. I’ve been the guy who signed the layoff papers. When I was at Penton we went through three rounds of layoffs in 18 months and it was devastating for everyone involved. And this continues today but at breakneck speed. Here’s the truth: no job is safe anymore...especially in marketing.

AI is replacing entry-level marketers faster than we can track. Some agencies I know are in desperation mode. The only advice brand marketing teams get is to lean more into AI. Is that even the right strategy? And executive teams still don’t understand what content actually does...until they decide it’s too expensive (even thought it’s not) and cut it.

Here’s the harsh truth: Most people following the “good job, good life” blueprint are broke, stressed, unfulfilled, and trapped.

The old dream isn’t dead because people stopped working hard. It’s dead because the game changed and nobody updated the playbook.

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This week's links:

Dallas Cowboys NOT America's Team

Joe Pulizzi's New Book "Burn the Playbook" Pre-Order

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This week's sponsor:

You don't become the world’s most valuable women's sports franchise by accident.

Angel City Football Club did it with a little help from HubSpot.

When they started, data was housed across multiple systems.

HubSpot unified their website, email marketing, and fan experience in one platform.

This allowed their small team of three to build an entire website in just three days.

The results? Nearly 350 new sign-ups a week and 300% database growth in just two years.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

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Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

This week Robert flies solo (Joe’s busy revolutionizing dairy on the blockchain) to ask a question: 

What if slower is the new smarter?

After riffing on OpenAI’s burnout‑induced shutdown, he unveils a sneak peek of his upcoming book, Valuable Friction. From Netflix’s “Skip Intro” button to AI‑generated sameness, Robert shows how our obsession with frictionless everything is draining the meaning out of marketing...and life.

Tune in for the four kinds of friction that sharpen ideas, deepen relationships, steady operations, and save you from knee‑jerk strategy. No co‑host, no fast‑forward, just 100 percent Robert. Press play, don’t skip the intro, and discover why a little resistance might be your brand’s unfair advantage.

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This week's sponsor:

You don't become the world’s most valuable women's sports franchise by accident.

Angel City Football Club did it with a little help from HubSpot.

When they started, data was housed across multiple systems.

HubSpot unified their website, email marketing, and fan experience in one platform.

This allowed their small team of three to build an entire website in just three days.

The results? Nearly 350 new sign-ups a week and 300% database growth in just two years.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

After a quick cover of the Cloudflare news where it will be possible to select and make money from AI companies crawling your site, Joe and Robert dive into marketing plan B.

Specifically -

The New Normal: Why Everyone Needs a Personal Brand (Even If You’re Not Selling Anything)

The collapse of the idea that a job = stability.
From creators to CMOs: why everyone needs visibility.
The difference between self-promotion and self-preservation.
Hot take: You’re always in stealth mode for your next job (even if you don’t know it yet).

And...Content as Career Insurance: Best Practices for Building Your Brand
What platforms actually matter (and which ones are dead weight)?

Where to start?

We have the answers in this episode.

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This week's links:

Cloudflare Launches AI Marketplace

Paramount Settles Trump Case

Joe's Newsletter Post on Freedom

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This week's sponsor:

You don't become the world’s most valuable women's sports franchise by accident.

Angel City Football Club did it with a little help from HubSpot.

When they started, data was housed across multiple systems.

HubSpot unified their website, email marketing, and fan experience in one platform.

This allowed their small team of three to build an entire website in just three days.

The results? Nearly 350 new sign-ups a week and 300% database growth in just two years.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

AI hits the headlines again. Anthropic wins a lawsuit for its training data procedures, but the judge leaves room for additional lawsuits. In the greater scheme, will any of the lawsuits really matter?

John Oliver's AI Slop video is "must-see-TV" and AI content continues to become a bigger part of our lives in content creation and marketing. What do we need to do?

And Zohran Mamdani wins the Democratic nomination for mayor in New York, outlasting the big money players through a Gen Z-focused approach. What can we learn from this and will we see more?

Winners and losers include Mumford & Sons and Intel dropping marketing as a core function.

Rants and raves include Voice of America and the LinkedIn Ballad.

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This week's links:

Anthropic Wins Case

AI Slop and John Oliver

Mamdani Takes New York Nomination with TikTok

VOA's Iran Mess

Mumford & Sons Membership Pass

Intel Outsources Marketing to Accenture

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This week's sponsor:

INBOUND 2025 features an incredible lineup including Amy Poehler, Dario Amodei, Dwarkesh
Patel, Sean Evans (Hot Ones), Marques Brownlee, Glennon Doyle, and more. Get actionable insights you can implement immediately to grow your business...San Francisco September 3rd-5th, 2025.

Go to inbound.com/register to secure your spot at INBOUND 2025.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

Huge research uncovers the obvious. Television and "traditional media" is going obsolete, as social media revenues and watch/listen time dominates. It is indeed the end of the living room. The boys review reports from WPP and NiemenLab.

In marketing winners, Terry Moran launches a substack after being fired. But shouldn't he have had one already? Contractual reasons aside, the boys detail a marketing/creator survival plan that's not just a nice to have.

Rants and raves include Answer Engine Optimization Hype and the GENIUS act.

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This week's links:

Creators Overtake Traditional Media

The Brand/Studio Line Blurs

Social Media Overtakes TV

Ads on Whatsapp

Terry Moran Launches Substack

Journalist Survival Plan

Genius Act Progress

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This week's sponsor:

INBOUND 2025 features an incredible lineup including Amy Poehler, Dario Amodei, Dwarkesh
Patel, Sean Evans (Hot Ones), Marques Brownlee, Glennon Doyle, and more. Get actionable insights you can implement immediately to grow your business...San Francisco September 3rd-5th, 2025.

Go to inbound.com/register to secure your spot at INBOUND 2025.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

Joe and Robert break down Mary Meeker's "Future of AI" report and discuss the biggest opportunities and threats for marketers and creators in the future.

Disney sues Midjourney in yet another lawsuit against AI companies. When will it stop and why should we care?

And Meta invests $15 billion more in AI, trying to catch up in the AI race.

In winners and losers, Joe discusses how to get found in AI searches and Robert talks about the failed mainstream media with the LA coverage.

Rants and raves include a new creator economy lobbying group from MatPat and a boost to musical theater.

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This week's links:

Disney Sues Midjourney

The Future of AI Report

Meta Makes $15 Billion Bet on AGI

How to Get Found in AI Search [Chart]

MatPat Starts Creator Caucus

Live Theater Gets a Boost

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This week's sponsor:

INBOUND 2025 features an incredible lineup including Amy Poehler, Dario Amodei, Dwarkesh
Patel, Sean Evans (Hot Ones), Marques Brownlee, Glennon Doyle, and more. Get actionable insights you can implement immediately to grow your business...San Francisco September 3rd-5th, 2025.

Go to inbound.com/register to secure your spot at INBOUND 2025.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

Did someone say McDonald's is bringing back snack wraps?

In other news, who knew that artificial intelligence would force brands and publishers toward an indie-creator model? If Google AI is undermining journalism, perhaps the way out is through the individual human creator.

In another AI scandal, Builder.ai collapses, even with a large sum of money invested by Microsoft.

And Netflix adds advertising to its IP. Good decision?

Winners and losers include Ohio Bike Week and ELF/Hailey Bieber.

Rants and raves include WaPo's new mission statement and the new NYTimes lawsuit against ChatGPT.

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This week's links:

Google AI Mode Undermining Journalism

Builder.ai Collapses

Netflix Adds Ad Tech

Chain Restaurants Go Nostalgia

ELF Buys Rhode

WaPo's New Mission Statement

-----

This week's sponsor:

INBOUND 2025 features an incredible lineup including Amy Poehler, Dario Amodei, Dwarkesh
Patel, Sean Evans (Hot Ones), Marques Brownlee, Glennon Doyle, and more. Get actionable insights you can implement immediately to grow your business...San Francisco September 3rd-5th, 2025.

Go to inbound.com/register to secure your spot at INBOUND 2025.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.

AI is again in the headlines this week with Anthropic announcing that its AI will do anything to survive...even bust you for cheating on your wife.

AI layoffs are starting to hit home. It's almost to the point that people are being laid off "by" AI itself. Joe and Robert uncover the truth.

Rand Fishkin discusses 10 ways to understand no-click search...and it's mostly stuff we can actually do.

And long live print, as Microsoft launches a new print publication.

Winners and losers include LinkedIn commenting and Duolingo.

Rants and raves include the new Bitcoin treasury fad and AI Agent pitch decks.

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This week's links:

Anthropic AI Resorts to Blackmail

AI Layoffs Are Here

The End of Website Traffic

Print is Dead. Long Live Print.

Duolingo CEO Retraces AI Announcement

Businesses Go On Bitcoin Buying Spree

The AI Agent Pitch Deck

-----

This week's sponsor:

You don't become the world’s most valuable women's sports franchise by accident.

Angel City Football Club did it with a little help from HubSpot.

When they started, data was housed across multiple systems.

HubSpot unified their website, email marketing, and fan experience in one platform.

This allowed their small team of three to build an entire website in just three days.

The results? Nearly 350 new sign-ups a week and 300% database growth in just two years.

Visit https://www.hubspot.com/ to hear how HubSpot can help you grow better.

-------

Liked this show? SUBSCRIBE to this podcast on Spotify, Apple, Google and more. Catch past episodes and show notes at ThisOldMarketing.com.

Catch and subscribe to our NEW show on YouTube. NOTE: You can get captions there.

Subscribe to Joe Pulizzi's Orangeletter and get two free downloads direct from Joe.

Subscribe to Robert Rose's newsletter at Seventh Bear.