<![CDATA[Funnel Vision]]>Funnel Vision explores the world of marketing technology, lead generation, automation and AI. Our mission is to level the playing field, allowing startups and small businesses to achieve similar results to their larger counterparts through smart technology solutions. We'll talk to founders, strategists, tool-makers and boundary breakers. We'll share some hands-on tutorials, and explore the trends and emerging technologies our industry can't stop talking about.

]]>https://www.johnsteeleconsulting.com/funnel-vision-podcastRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Sat, 18 Jul 2026 03:29:58 GMTThu, 26 Mar 2026 17:55:17 GMT60John Steele<p>Funnel Vision explores the world of marketing technology, lead generation, automation and AI. Our mission is to level the playing field, allowing startups and small businesses to achieve similar results to their larger counterparts through smart technology solutions. We'll talk to founders, strategists, tool-makers and boundary breakers. We'll share some hands-on tutorials, and explore the trends and emerging technologies our industry can't stop talking about.</p>episodicJohn Steelejohn@johnsteeleconsulting.comno<![CDATA[Fighting Slop and Earning Trust: How Agency Value Is Changing In The Age of AI]]>Today's guest is Woden Founder & Chief Storyteller Ed Lynes. A Chief Storyteller sounds like a strange title, but Woden is not your average agency. They specialize in strategic narrative and, to hear Ed tell it, a novel approach to narrative can shift an agency's relationship with AI completely, to something that centers your strengths and increases your value. 

I first wanted to have Ed on as an agency owner who's seen a lot of different tools and trends come and go over the years so we could gauge the freakout over AI a bit. Instead, we had an expansive conversation about everything from how stories shape human connection to why he "doesn't give a shit" about the "Attention Economy."


Subscribe to Funnel Vision wherever you get your podcasts.

]]>6723525b-be99-4568-91bd-f7a54cdb898eFri, 03 Jul 2026 11:22:01 GMT<p>Today's guest is Woden Founder &amp; Chief Storyteller Ed Lynes. A Chief Storyteller sounds like a strange title, but Woden is not your average agency. They specialize in strategic narrative and, to hear Ed tell it, a novel approach to narrative can shift an agency's relationship with AI completely, to something that centers your strengths and increases your value. <br /><br />I first wanted to have Ed on as an agency owner who's seen a lot of different tools and trends come and go over the years so we could gauge the freakout over AI a bit. Instead, we had an expansive conversation about everything from how stories shape human connection to why he "doesn't give a shit" about the "Attention Economy."</p><p><br />Subscribe to Funnel Vision wherever you get your podcasts.</p>no00:56:0614Fighting Slop and Earning Trust: How Agency Value Is Changing In The Age of AIfull<![CDATA[How CRM systems lost salespeople...and what to build to get them back.]]>Today's guest is RepData Senior VP of Sales Kyle Gollins. Kyle has watched sales transform from a rolodex and a stack of business cards to hyper-targeted email sequences and Zoom calls, only to return to business lunches and in-office coffee chats.

And in that time, he says, CRMs have become a nuisance.

In this conversation, we explore how systems built for sales lost salespeople, the patchwork of tools they use now, and what he'd build into a new CRM to win them back.


Check out the video below and, if you want more, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

]]>26927096-340b-4541-bc5d-a55f5df29437Wed, 17 Jun 2026 20:17:56 GMT<p>Today's guest is RepData Senior VP of Sales Kyle Gollins. Kyle has watched sales transform from a rolodex and a stack of business cards to hyper-targeted email sequences and Zoom calls, only to return to business lunches and in-office coffee chats. <br /><br />And in that time, he says, CRMs have become a nuisance. <br /><br />In this conversation, we explore how systems built for sales lost salespeople, the patchwork of tools they use now, and what he'd build into a new CRM to win them back.</p><p><br />Check out the video below and, if you want more, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.</p>no00:32:0013How CRM systems lost salespeople...and what to build to get them back.full<![CDATA[The 'Silver Tsunami' is coming. Can we count on AI to save us?]]>The following conversation was recorded on April 30th as a preview to Philly Tech Week. For more info on Siah Labs and the events of Philly Tech Week, check out the links below.

Siah Labs co-founders / husband-and-wife team Jordan and Deanna Blackwell are in a crowded space--AI-centered agency serving small business.

But the Siah framework focuses less on growth and instead talks about things like succession and enjoyment, and the promise that they can help founder-led businesses run without without the founder.


It is this framework, the Blackwells say, that will help founders prepare for the "Great Wealth Transfer" or "Silver Tsunami"--the predicted economic tumult when Baby-Boomers slowly exit the workforce and their businesses have not been future-proofed.

Jordan will provide more detail from the stage at Philly Tech Week on May 5th, when he hosts a talk on the Great Wealth Transfer, the role of AI and why cities like Philadelphia will play a big role in what the future holds.

In this 44-minute conversation, we dig into this topic, as well as the dynamics of working with your spouse, protecting against AI volatility, building trust in technology and more. Check it out!

LINKS:

Siah Labs: https://www.siahlabs.com/

Jordan Blackwell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-d-blackwell/

Philly Tech Week event: https://www.siahlabs.com/ptw2026

]]>a6c75bd0-9e60-41ad-83eb-630fe30aa0cbFri, 08 May 2026 20:52:32 GMT<p><i>The following conversation was recorded on April 30th as a preview to Philly Tech Week. For more info on Siah Labs and the events of Philly Tech Week, check out the links below. </i><br /><br />Siah Labs co-founders / husband-and-wife team Jordan and Deanna Blackwell are in a crowded space--AI-centered agency serving small business. <br /><br />But the Siah framework focuses less on growth and instead talks about things like succession and enjoyment, and the promise that they can help founder-led businesses run without without the founder. </p><p><br />It is this framework, the Blackwells say, that will help founders prepare for the "Great Wealth Transfer" or "Silver Tsunami"--the predicted economic tumult when Baby-Boomers slowly exit the workforce and their businesses have not been future-proofed. <br /></p><p>Jordan will provide more detail from the stage at Philly Tech Week on May 5th, when he hosts a talk on the Great Wealth Transfer, the role of AI and why cities like Philadelphia will play a big role in what the future holds. <br /></p><p>In this 44-minute conversation, we dig into this topic, as well as the dynamics of working with your spouse, protecting against AI volatility, building trust in technology and more. Check it out!<br /></p><p>LINKS: </p><p>Siah Labs: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.siahlabs.com/" target="_blank">https://www.siahlabs.com/</a></p><p>Jordan Blackwell: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-d-blackwell/" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-d-blackwell/</a></p><p>Philly Tech Week event: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.siahlabs.com/ptw2026" target="_blank">https://www.siahlabs.com/ptw2026</a></p>no00:44:1312The 'Silver Tsunami' is coming. Can we count on AI to save us?full<![CDATA[This founder left HubSpot. Check out what he built to replace it.]]>Josh Mamroud is the Founder and CEO of Documint, a SaaS document automation platform with a tiered, usage-based growth model.

Josh recently left HubSpot, which was managing the company's CMS, CRM, Chat and more. This was obviously not an easy decision and one that took a lot of careful planning and experimentation to get right.

Now, Josh has agreed to share that journey with us, including details on why he left and what he's building to replace one of the most popular marketing platforms in the world.

Our full conversation is available now, wherever you get your podcasts.

This episode is a part of our Funnel Vision newsletter series. You can subscribe to Funnel Vision on Linkedin, or by visiting johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter.

]]>94233862-648a-47bf-acaf-1ab61224f79eWed, 15 Apr 2026 20:13:04 GMT<p>Josh Mamroud is the Founder and CEO of Documint, a SaaS document automation platform with a tiered, usage-based growth model. <br /><br />Josh recently left HubSpot, which was managing the company's CMS, CRM, Chat and more. This was obviously not an easy decision and one that took a lot of careful planning and experimentation to get right. <br /><br />Now, Josh has agreed to share that journey with us, including details on why he left and what he's building to replace one of the most popular marketing platforms in the world. <br /><br />Our full conversation is available now, wherever you get your podcasts. <br /><br />This episode is a part of our Funnel Vision newsletter series. You can subscribe to Funnel Vision on Linkedin, or by visiting johnsteeleconsulting.com/newsletter.</p>no00:32:4511This founder left HubSpot. Check out what he built to replace it.full