Podcast Summary: The Community Code — Building Brand Loyalty Beyond the Transaction

In this episode, Sacha Awwa dives deep with Michael Puhala, Chief Community Evangelist at Khoros, a trailblazer in the digital community space. With over a decade at the forefront of online community innovation, Michael has helped some of the world’s top brands—like Microsoft, Spotify, and Sephora—build thriving ecosystems that drive retention, loyalty, and long-term customer engagement.

From the early days of gamer forums to the rise of AI-assisted support and ideation hubs, Michael unpacks how brands can turn passive customers into active participants. This episode is essential for marketers, CX leaders, and product teams who want to build customer relationships that last.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Community Strategy

• Why digital communities predate social media—and how they still matter more
• From support channels to data goldmines: how community became strategic
• How post-COVID dynamics revived the role of community in brand building

2. Community as a Retention Engine

• Why Sephora community members spend 2.5x more than non-members
• The difference between customer-to-brand and customer-to-customer engagement
• Using forums and ideation to support loyalty, CSAT, and product development

3. From Forums to Flywheels

• How brands like Zoom and Southwest scale support through community
• The power of community-driven SEO: 180-day payoff, long-term value
• Super users as volunteers, evangelists, and customer service amplifiers

4. B2B vs. B2C Communities

• The surprising overlap between Spotify and Shopify
• Why use cases like support, ideation, and lifestyle education apply across sectors
• Community KPIs: lifetime value, churn reduction, CSAT, and content generation

5. Community & AI: A New Frontier

• Why AI needs community more than the reverse—for now
• Summarization, prioritization, and churn prediction: AI’s real role in communities
• How generative AI will transform federated search and product-embedded support

6. Avoiding the Community Pitfalls

• Why “build it and they will come” doesn’t work
• The death of MQLs and the rise of behavior-based engagement
• Why community is a long-tail investment, not a short-term marketing fix

Key Takeaways for Founders & Marketing Leaders:

• Treat community like a listening channel—not a marketing one
• The first 90 days of a new community initiative are critical—don’t wing it
• Don’t treat community like a campaign; it’s a flywheel, not a funnel
• Community members are your highest-value customers—invest accordingly
• Surround yourself with experienced community leaders from day one

Follow Michael Puhala’s Work:
📍 LinkedIn
📖 Human Traits — A speculative novel exploring humanity’s future with AI

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Podcast Summary: Cracking the Meta Code — Scaling Ads with Strategy, Not Just Spend

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Manel Gomez, a Meta ad specialist managing $300K–$500K/month in spend for e-commerce brands across the U.S. and Europe. With over $25M in profitable ad spend under his belt and regular appearances at Meta HQ, Manel breaks down the technical evolution of Facebook Ads and how founders can navigate the increasingly competitive paid social landscape.

From bidding strategies to AI tools and platform trends, Manel offers a masterclass in modern media buying. Whether you're spending $30 or $30,000/day, this episode is a must-listen for anyone trying to make paid ads work in 2025.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. The Evolution of Meta Advertising

• How ad strategy shifted from 2016’s low-hanging fruit to today’s competitive battlefield
• The impact of COVID in three waves: low CPMs, the “golden era,” and post-boom attrition
• Why today's ad success requires deeper thinking, not just platform familiarity

2. Budget, ROAS & Reality Checks

• The importance of setting a daily budget based on your average order value (AOV)
• Why under-spending leads to poor machine learning performance
• How to manage client expectations on ROAS and discovery

3. Manual Bidding & Wave Surfing

• The power of manual bidding: cost cap vs. bid cap explained
• “Overbidding” to dominate the auction and bully competitors
• Timing ad spend around consumer behavior, pay cycles, and Shopify data

4. Creatives That Convert

• Why most user-generated content (UGC) is dying out
• Testing different formats (before/after, meme-style, image vs. video)
• Finding the one ad that drives scale—it’s 95/5, not 80/20

5. Platform Myths & Meta’s Real Agenda

• Why you should ignore most Facebook rep suggestions
• Advantage+ and multi-advertiser placement: what to watch out for
• The coming wave of Instagram Checkout and native shopping within Meta

6. The AI Reality Check

• Why AI is useful—but not a magic wand
• How tools like 11 Labs and Lovvo.ai can improve scale and localization
• Why human strategy still beats automation—for now

Key Takeaways for Founders & Media Buyers:

• Don't skip the research. It fuels every winning ad.
• Testing should be intentional, not guesswork.
• Your first goal is to find one killer creative.
• Strategic spend > impulsive scale.
• Ride the market waves—don’t fight them.

Follow Manel’s work and insights:

📍 Instagram: @manelgomez

📍 YouTube: Manel.gomez

📍Website: Meta Scaling Accelerator

🎙️ Speaker at Affiliate World, Ads Accelerator & more

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Podcast Summary: Building Culture, Systems & Legacy with Justin Gold

In this episode, Sacha Awwa sits down with Justin Gold—founder and CEO of multiple award-winning businesses in the beauty industry, including the renowned salon The Changing Room. A second-generation entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience, Justin shares his journey from breakdancing and corporate finance to becoming a national educator for Matrix and a transformative coach for salon owners and entrepreneurs.

Justin opens up about the evolution of his family business, the importance of structure and culture in service-based industries, and how giving back—through education, mentorship, and innovation—has become his driving purpose.

Whether you’re building a brick-and-mortar business or launching a product in a crowded e-commerce space, Justin’s story is full of lessons on resilience, systems thinking, and defining your North Star.

Key Topics Discussed:

1. From Suit & Tie to Salon Chair

• Immigrant roots and the family business legacy
• Trading corporate finance for entrepreneurship
• How creative freedom and family needs shaped his path

2. Culture Is the Oil in the Machine

• Why businesses need intentional values and structure
• Building a team around core values like respect, professionalism, and consistency
• Culture as a competitive advantage you can feel—not just see

3. Coaching & Giving Back

• Starting as a salon educator, expanding into broader business coaching
• Why giving back helps refine your own leadership
• Building a systemized roadmap for success in creative industries

4. Scaling Beyond the Chair

• Turning salon pain points into e-commerce wins (like custom Velcro towels)
• How to validate a niche product and bring it to market
• Why skin in the game—time, travel, investment—builds business credibility

5. The Long Game of Entrepreneurship

• Navigating failure, handshake deals gone wrong, and costly missteps
• Why starting with internal clarity matters more than watching the competition
• The value of optimism, accountability, and just starting

Key Takeaways for Business Owners & Creatives:

• Systems are your scaffolding—creativity thrives with structure.
• Your core values are your compass. Hire and fire by them.
• Educate before you sell. Great products still need storytelling.
• Give back to grow. Teaching others can clarify your own path.
• Start small, think big. Every empire begins with one solid foundation.

Follow Justin’s work in salon coaching, innovative beauty products, and entrepreneurial education at Rise CC – Justing Gold – Beauty Industry Coaching Expert

IG: Rise Coaching & Consulting (@risecoachingconsulting) • Instagram photos and videos

LinkedIn: (9) Justin Gold | LinkedIn

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