Anthony Tsigourakos, co-founder of SmartSpend Advertising and growth advisor at Good Name Consulting, knows the hidden costs of scaling. After helping dozens of agencies break through plateaus, he’s learned that real growth isn’t just about adding clients or revenue…it’s about protecting your capacity, your margins, and your energy.
In this episode, we dive into:
Whether you’re running a $250K shop or a multi-million dollar agency, this episode will help you rethink your growth plan, sharpen your focus, and lead with intention.
📍 Connect with Anthony:
🎙 Hosted by Adam W. Barney, Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising? explores the truths, myths, and hidden realities behind marketing, growth, and leadership.
💡 If you enjoyed this conversation, make sure to subscribe on your favorite podcast platform, leave a review, and share this episode with one other agency owner, founder, or leader who needs it.
What actually works when paid ads stop performing?
In this episode, Patrick Cumming, Head of Marketing at KleintBoost, joins Adam W. Barney to cut through the noise and talk shop: what’s real, what’s BS, and why most agencies are still chasing vanity metrics.
We go deep on:
Whether you’re an agency founder, media buyer, or brand leader tired of spinning your wheels, this episode gives you the clarity (and fire) to reset your strategy.
🔥 Hosted by Adam W. Barney, Host of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, the show where agency leaders unpack what’s real…and what’s just noise.
🎧 Subscribe + Listen + Rate today!
What do you do when Google, Meta, TikTok, and every other ad platform shut the door in your face? You break the rules, rewrite the playbook, and scale anyway.
In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I talk with Pauline Schmiechen: badass founder, consultant, and builder of multiple high-traffic adult platforms, who’s thriving in the shadows of mainstream media.
With 3 million+ users a month and zero access to traditional ad platforms, Pauline isn’t asking for permission...she’s building power in places most marketers are too afraid to look.
Here’s what we dive into:
We also dig into the real reason OnlyFans exploded and why traditional marketing can’t handle industries built on human behavior, emotion, and connection.
This isn’t about adult content. It’s about stigma, scale, and what happens when creators and marketers get locked out of the “acceptable” world...and still thrive.
🔗 Resources & Mentions:
📬 Subscribe to explore what’s real (and what’s just noise):
In Episode 07 of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, we dive deep with Lea Miner, Founder of Intention & Insight, who’s building something truly different: a business rooted in resonance, not just reach.
What started as a small somatic journey experiment on Meetup grew to a thriving 600+ person community in just six months, without a dollar in ad spend.
We unpack:
This episode is a refreshing dose of honesty in a sea of hype. If you’ve ever felt like your marketing efforts were missing soul, or you’re trying to scale without losing your center, this is your permission slip to do things differently.
🔗 Connect with Lea:
→ https://intentionandinsight.com
→ IG: @intentionandinsight
→ Join a Somatic Journey: https://calendly.com/eleah-intentionandinsight/friday-somatic-journey
If you’re an agency founder trying to grow without the grind, check out the Agency Growth Sprint, designed for firms earning $250K–$5M/year, who want real scale with real strategy.
What if the real growth play wasn’t grinding on social media or spending wildly on ads?
In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Ziv Raviv, Founder & CEO of Kivi Media, creator of Daily Cookie, host of Beyond Six Figures, and author of The Fully Booked Coach, for a masterclass in scaling through soul-first strategy.
Ziv built a $600K/year coaching business without burning out on content or ad spend...and he’s here to show you how.
We unpack:
Ziv keeps it real and actionable. This isn’t about hacks. It’s about building real relationships, solving real problems, and scaling with clarity.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your marketing is working, or working against you, this episode is your wake-up call.
🔗 Resources + Mentions:
🔌 Ready to turn your agency into a growth machine?
If you’re running a $250K–$5M/year ad agency and tired of duct-taped systems, the Agency Growth Sprint was built for you.
→ Install a scalable lead gen engine
→ Clean up your offer
→ Ditch chaos for strategy that sticks
Learn more: adamwbarney.com
Nuria Garcia of NbN Marketing joins me for a raw dive into the behind-the-scenes reality of creator-led growth. From ad platform bias to client miseducation, this episode unpacks the truth about scaling creative work with integrity, even when it gets messy.
We cover:
🔗 Learn more about Nuria’s work: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nbnmarketing/
🎧 Subscribe to the podcast: https://isanythingrealinpaidadvertising.adamwbarney.com
AI may be getting flashier, but is it making your creative work better or just…blobbier?
In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Christina Magaña, Founder of Modish Creative and creative strategist behind some of the most vibrant, soulful branding campaigns in the game.
We dive into:
Plus: the 2010 Instagram personality that still lives inside ChatGPT and how Christina trains her clients to break free from emoji-and-em-dash chaos.
It’s raw, real, and wildly creative.
🔗 Follow Christina & Modish Creative
Instagram: @modishcreativeco
Website: modishcreative.com
Christina: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cristinamodish/
🎯 Subscribe & explore more at: https://isanythingrealinpaidadvertising.adamwbarney.com/
Is AI driving deeper connections, or just more noise?
In this episode, I’m joined by Nathalie Doremieux, Co-Founder of Podcast LeadFlow, who reveals how to transform podcast listeners into qualified leads through strategic AI-powered conversations. We unpack how the Human → AI → Human model outperforms generic automation, and why quality, not quantity is the future of podcast monetization.
From membership site mastery to funnel strategy that doesn’t sacrifice humanity, Nathalie breaks down what most agency owners are missing and how to fix it.
🎯 Topics we dig into:
🔗 Learn more about Podcast LeadFlow: https://podcastleadflow.com
👋 Say hi to Nathalie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathaliedoremieux/
🚨 Subscribe for more: https://isanythingrealinpaidadvertising.adamwbarney.com
Performance Max can scale. But only if you control the inputs.
Otherwise? You’re handing the wheel to a robot with no map.
In this episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I’m joined by Ben Lund, founder of Rise Marketing Group and ex-Googler, to unpack what’s real...and what’s wildly misunderstood...about AI-driven campaigns in 2025.
We get into:
⚙️ The real value of human strategy in an AI world
📉 Why Performance Max fails when left unchecked
🧠 The mindset behind building a 7-figure agency that’s still human-first
👀 Why automation without alignment is just budget drain
💡 If you’ve ever felt the gap between AI promise and real ROI…this one’s for you.
🔗 Listen + learn more at risemkg.com and connect with Ben
In this kickoff episode of Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?, I sit down with Kristi Broom, Co-Founder of Rising Tide Cooperative to talk candidly about building inclusive cultures, evolving leadership identities, and embracing AI without losing your edge.
We dive into:
📬 Kristi’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kristibroom
🌱 Rising Tide Cooperative: risingtidecooperative.com
📅 June Intensive (June 24–25): risingtidecooperative.com/#workshops
💸 Use code June2025RTC for $500 off — valid through June 30, 2025.
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🎧 Listen + subscribe: https://isanythingrealinpaidadvertising.adamwbarney.com/subscribe
⚡ Host: Adam W. Barney – Energy Coach | adamwbarney.com
🎯 Running a $250K–$5M agency? Join the mastermind.
🎙 Want to be a guest on "Is Anything Real in Paid Advertising?"
If you’re an agency founder, marketer, or platform expert with strong opinions and battle-tested strategies, we want to hear from you.
You’ve seen the headlines. You’ve heard the hype. You’ve probably even burned budget on a “proven funnel.”
But let’s be honest: is anything in paid advertising even real?
In this kickoff episode, host Adam W. Barney (author, strategist, energy coach, and $100M+ ad spend veteran) lays out why this podcast exists, who it’s for, and what to expect in the episodes ahead.
🎙️ Expect unfiltered conversations with agency founders, marketers, and skeptics who’ve been in the trenches—plus real systems, real insight, and no fluff.
If you’re building a $250K–$5M agency and want to scale smarter (without burning out), here’s where it starts.
👉 Join the Agency Growth Mastermind
📌 New episodes drop weekly.
🔔 Subscribe, share, and follow @adamwbarney for the behind-the-scenes.
