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Eric Siu and Neil Patel

Neil Patel and Eric Siu bring you daily ACTIONABLE digital marketing lessons that they've learned through years of being in the trenches. Whether you have a new website or you're an established business, you'll learn the latest SEO, content marketing, social media, email marketing, conversion optimization and general online marketing strategies that work today from people that actually practice marketing and operate business. Approaching 100M downloads with 2,500+ episodes, you're sure to find something that will help you grow faster. Also don't forget to subscribe to our Marketing School Youtube channel to get more marketing goodness.

Marketing School - Digital Marketing and Online Marketing Tips

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In this episode, Neil and Eric break down why running a company feels like a sandwich every day, from CEO pressure and people problems to impostor syndrome and nonstop decision making. They compare founder life versus operator life, explain why investing in yourself and your team beats risky financial plays, and discuss why talent hubs like California still matter. The conversation wraps with citizen journalism, newsjacking, and how one viral story proves attention can be earned without massive budgets.

Key Takeaways

• Running a company means absorbing pressure daily

• The best investments are yourself and your people

• Long-term focus beats fast money every time

Chapters

(00:00) CEO pressure sandwich

(01:02) Founder vs CEO reality

(02:15) Price of great work

(05:02) California talent debate

(07:12) Investing in yourself

(10:28) Laser focus for 10 years

(14:00) Citizen journalism rise

(19:06) Newsjacking lessons

CEO Says Running Company Is a Sh*t Sandwich Everyday

Why are big companies not hiring in 2026? In this episode, hosts Neil and Eric break down hiring freezes at major companies, rising caution among CEOs, and why AI efficiency is replacing headcount. They discuss data from large employers, economic uncertainty, interest rates, and how leaders are planning for 2026 hiring. The conversation also covers management styles, leadership, and why people remain the best long-term investment despite automation. A must-listen for founders, executives, and anyone watching the job market in 2026.

Key Takeaways

• Why big companies are freezing hiring in 2026

• How AI is replacing headcount, not growth

• What leaders should do before hiring again

Chapters

(00:00) Why companies not hiring 2026

(01:33) Big tech hiring freezes

(03:35) Interest rates and hiring outlook

(06:54) AI efficiency vs people

(08:56) Leadership and management styles

(12:44) Direct feedback and firing fast

(17:21) Hiring strategy for 2026

Companies Are Not Hiring In 2026

Neil and Eric break down the Threads vs X mindset gap, why “victim mentality” kills progress, and how focusing on one craft can beat trying to be well-rounded. They debate early specialization vs variety using a peak-performance study, then shift into recruiting: retention conversations, paid working-case assignments, reference checks, and why talent drives marketing results. They also touch on holiday expectations in sales roles and discuss how Diddy built a massive brand reach and why power demands responsibility. 

Key takeaways:

-Stop blaming, start building.

-Master one craft, then compound.

-Hire with paid working cases.

Chapters:

(00.00) Threads vs X mindset gap

(00.26) Victim mentality vs self-made

(02.03) Focus one craft to win

(03.06) Specialization vs well-rounded debate

(04.24) Peak performance study breakdown

(07.00) Optimize for financial success

(10.48) Recruiting and retention principles

(13.36) Paid working-case hiring test

(18.42) Reference checks reveal judgment

(18.45) Holiday work and sales reality

(20.35) Diddy branding power and responsibility

(23.42) Happy holidays and 2026 wishes

Why X Crushes Meta's Threads

Google Gemini’s breakout in 2025 gets pinned on “Nano Banana,” Google’s fast image generation and editing push that coincided with Gemini MAUs jumping from 350M to 650M by October, plus momentum from NotebookLM upgrades and aggressive social distribution. Neil and Eric debate why free, bundled AI (Search AI Overviews, Chromebooks, Android) can outscale paid ChatGPT for students and everyday users, then zoom out into AI’s new marketing playbook for demand gen, ABM, and always-on agents, plus a reality check on VC data and “SEO is dead” takes. 

Key takeaways:

-Nano Banana made Gemini feel viral and usable.

-Free distribution beats “better” features for scale.

-AI is rewriting B2B demand gen workflows.

Chapters:

(00:00) What saved Google Gemini

(00:12) Nano Banana drives MAU growth

(01:10) AI Overviews massive reach

(01:43) Students choose free Gemini

(05:39) Chatbot traffic share shifts

(08:34) AI demand gen playbook

(10:38) Skepticism on VC datasets

(16:42) Luck favors consistent grind

(20:50) Holiday send-off for 2026

How Nano Banana Saved Google

Neil and Eric break down Hamilton Helmer’s 7 Powers framework for building a durable competitive business: branding, process power, switching costs, scale economies, cornered resources, network economies, and counter positioning. They apply these strategy concepts to agencies, then shift to AI moats and vertical integration, noting why Google stands out across the AI stack (apps, models, cloud, and chips like TPUs). The conversation closes with practical leadership lessons on AI fluency programs, hackathons, KPI-driven adoption, and avoiding “AI theater” so automation actually drives revenue and profit.

Key takeaways:

-7 Powers = clearer moat strategy

-AI fluency must move KPIs

-Vertical integration wins AI stacks

Chapters

(00:00) 7 Powers moat framework

(00:26) Counterpositioning examples

(00:36) Network effects and platforms

(00:47) Cornered resources explained

(01:04) Switching costs in agencies

(01:22) Process power in manufacturing

(03:12) AI leader and best moat

(05:40) AI fluency hackathons

(10:35) KPI-first AI adoption

(12:30) Don’t give up, stay alive

The 7 Powers Of Business

Neil and Eric break down their biggest marketing predictions for 2026, covering SEO’s rebound, AEO reality checks, AI workflow automation, community building, in-person events, and why switching costs now matter more than product market fit. Recorded on Christmas Eve, this episode dives into how agencies, SaaS companies, and enterprise brands should adapt as AI accelerates feature parity and channels evolve. From go-to-market engineers to owned communities, this conversation is a practical roadmap for marketers planning the year ahead.

Key takeaways:

• SEO and AEO will coexist, not replace each other

• In-person events and community will outperform algorithms

• Switching costs beat features in modern SaaS

Chapters:

(00:00) Christmas Eve kickoff

(00:30) SEO uncertainty and recovery

(02:12) 2026 marketing predictions

(03:26) Go-to-market engineers

(05:40) AEO vs SEO reality

(08:44) Community strategy mistakes

(10:45) AI product market fit shifts

(13:29) Switching costs over features

(16:20) Final 2026 outlook

How Marketing Will Completely Change in 2026

Neil and Eric break down why “storyteller” is suddenly the hottest corporate job title, from a Wall Street Journal trend to LinkedIn listings doubling in a year and Vanta paying up to $274,000 for a Head of Storytelling. They unpack why storytelling matters more in an AI-heavy marketing world, how to create tension using “but” beats, and why MrBeast-style narrative hooks keep viewers glued. Then they shift to YouTube strategy data: ideal video length by niche, tighter titles, and what thumbnails really do. singlegrain.com

Key takeaways:

-Storytelling is the AI-era differentiator.

-Tension beats “and then” every time.

-YouTube winners optimize length, titles, and thumbnails.

Chapters:

(00:00) Corporate storytellers surge

(01:19) Emotional roller coaster writing

(02:19) MrBeast storytelling formula

(03:20) “But” creates tension

(06:47) Enterprise sales de-risking

(10:00) Viral YouTube data study

(12:13) Best video length ranges

(13:39) Titles, faces, thumbnail text

(16:01) Closing thoughts

Is Storytelling the New Marketing?

Neil and Eric break down smart bets from a work and investment perspective, why crypto still has upside potential, and why hiring great people only works at the right stage of business. They share real numbers behind outbound email, gift card incentives, and ROI, then unpack the biggest marketing wins and losses of 2025. The episode wraps with how podcasts actually make millions through ads, brand trust, and backend conversions, plus lessons from growing agencies, software, and global marketing strategies.

Key Takeaways

• Crypto and self-investment beat most external bets

• Lead quality matters more than lead volume

• Podcasts drive millions beyond ad revenue

Chapters

(00:00) Work and investment gambles

(00:14) Crypto vs people investments

(01:15) Hiring timing mistakes

(03:14) Best investments in business

(04:01) Biggest marketing wins 2025

(05:45) Outbound email ROI breakdown

(10:38) Biggest marketing losses

(14:44) How podcasts make millions

What We Would Gamble On

In this episode, Neil and Eric break down the rise of AI hype versus real usage, using Harvey AI, Microsoft Copilot, and ZoomInfo as case studies. They discuss $8B AI valuations, low user adoption, retention challenges, and why paying for AI does not equal value. The conversation covers venture capital incentives, SaaS economics, AI theater, and what actually drives ROI in sales, marketing, and engineering. The key question: are companies buying AI for results or optics, and when will real value show up?

Key Takeaways:

-AI revenue ≠ AI usage

-Valuations are outpacing adoption

-Monthly recurring value matters more than ARR

Chapters:

(00:00) Harvey AI valuation surge

(01:06) AI usage vs paid licenses

(02:20) VC incentives vs PE reality

(04:06) Retention and adoption issues

(06:22) Copilot enterprise usage data

(07:58) AI impact on sales teams

(10:01) ZoomInfo AI ROI breakdown

(16:25) AI SEO vs traditional SEO

AI Law Firm Hits $100M But…

Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe

Need marketing help? Visit: https://www.singlegrain.com/ and https://npdigital.com/

Want to recruit great marketers? Find them here: https://marketingschool.io/hire

Hosted by Neil and Eric, this surprise live episode breaks down the best business investments of the year: choosing high-quality entrepreneur peer groups (YPO, EO style forums), saying yes to selective lunch networking, and protecting the talent bar with founder-level hiring discipline. They unpack why great people compound results, how enterprise deals often start from event relationships and long RFP cycles, and why relational wealth beats monetary wealth. Plus, favorite AI tools for productivity and marketing: Granola for meeting notes, Nano Banana for ad images, and NotebookLM for faster slide decks. Sponsor: npdigital.com.

Key takeaways:

-Peer groups: quality over quantity.

-Networking lunches: 2 to 3 wins per 10.

-Talent bar: founders must enforce it.

Chapters:

00:00 Surprise live kickoff

00:21 Peer groups that matter

02:47 Weekly lunch networking

05:05 Founder-led talent bar

09:33 Relational wealth lesson

11:12 Travel, events, RFPs

15:28 AI tools: Granola, Nano Banana, NotebookLM

𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗟

Welcome to Marketing School, one of the top business podcasts with over 61 million downloads. Each episode delivers actionable marketing tips and strategies from two entrepreneurs who truly practice what they preach. The show is hosted by Eric Siu, founder of Leveling Up and Single Grain, and Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital and recognized by Forbes as a Top 10 Marketer. 

🎙️ Learn More About the Hosts

 Eric Siu – Leveling Up: / @levelingupofficial 

 Neil Patel: / @neilpatel 

📩 Free Resources

 Growth Newsletter: https://levelingup.beehiiv.com/subscribe

 Ubersuggest: https://www.ubersuggest.com/

 Answer The Public: https://www.answerthepublic.com/

✅ Subscribe for Daily Marketing Insights!

Best Work Investment of the Year

In episode #2489, Neil and Eric unpack why Lionel Messi declined $1.9B to play the long game. When choosing which football club to play for, there’s often more going into the decision than money alone. Tune in to learn about the deals that Messi was offered, the numbers behind them, and how he is making a decision that will benefit his future self.
TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES:

[00:00] Today’s topic: Lionel Messi Declines $1.9B To Play The Long Game.

[00:28] An overview of the options that Lionel Messi had of teams to play for.

[01:18] The deal that David Beckham offered Lionel Messi.

[02:18] How Beckham played the long game, and how Messi is doing the same.

[03:27] Why there are factors other than money influencing Messi’s decisions?

[05:03] The Messi brand and why it matters.

[06:43] That’s it for today! Don’t forget to rate, review, and subscribe!

Go to https://www.marketingschool.io to learn more!

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

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FC Barcelona

Saudi Arabian Football Federation

David Beckham

Inter Miami CF

Google Bard

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Connect with Us: 

Single Grain << Eric’s ad agency

NP Digital << Neil’s ad agency

Twitter @neilpatel 

Twitter @ericosiu

 
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lionel Messi Declines $1.9B To Play The Long Game

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