In this episode, I sit down with my longtime friend Ali Raymer—senior travel advisor at Peace & Pearl to talk about how she turned a side hustle into a thriving career in the travel industry. We dig into her journey from high school travel club advisor to helping couples and families plan unforgettable trips around the world.

Ali shares the ups and downs of building a client base, surviving the COVID era of travel, and how content creation played a major role in her growth. From refining her niche to showing up authentically on Instagram and LinkedIn, Ali offers actionable insights for any entrepreneur trying to build trust and drive leads through organic content.

We also talk about:

* How to find your voice on social media
* Why consistency beats virality
* The power of storytelling in founder-led marketing
* What it really means to serve your audience well
* Why you don’t need to post in real-time—just gather content

Whether you're a travel advisor, a creative freelancer, or someone building your business online, this conversation is full of encouragement and wisdom.

In this conversation, Andrew Swanson and Sam Ford explore the intersections of wrestling, storytelling, community building, and innovation.

They discuss how wrestling serves as a unique form of storytelling that combines scripted drama with sports, and how this parallels the dynamics of soap operas.

The conversation delves into the importance of collaboration and community in achieving business goals, especially in the face of digital disruption. Sam emphasizes the need for imagination in the innovation process, highlighting how organizations often overlook this crucial aspect.

They also touch on the significance of measuring success beyond mere metrics, advocating for a responsible approach to business that considers long-term value and community impact.

In this candid conversation, Andrew Swanson (Co-Founder of Forerunner) sits down with Amanda Havard (Founding Partner at Innovation Engine) to unpack what it really takes to turn a fuzzy idea into a successful, people-centered innovation. Together, they explore how creatives and strategists can reshape the way companies think about video, marketing, collaboration, and problem-solving, whether you’re launching a startup, running a franchise, or leading a community initiative.

Using their work on the "What Could BGB" campaign (a collaboration with Jigsaw, a division of Google, and the city of Bowling Green, KY) as a case study, they walk through how human-centered design, strategic creative partnerships, and asking the right questions can unlock measurable outcomes.

Topics Covered:

* The overlap between creativity, strategy, and innovation
* Rethinking video: from deliverable to business driver
* Defining success and value in creative partnerships
* The power of collaboration in local ecosystems
* Moving beyond silos: from video shop to full creative agency
* Why trust, diagnostics, and early involvement matter

Whether you're a creative, entrepreneur, or business leader, this conversation is packed with real-world insights on how to think more holistically and humanely about the work you do.