Latest Episodes

  • Episode 89 – Why do so many Restaurants Fail? 

    There are so many good local places in the St. louis area, so please consider supporting your local restaurant!

    Spoiler alert! It is a lack of marketing!

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    SOURCES

    https://stlouisrestaurantreview.com/why-restaurants-fail-cause-closures/ Why Restaurants Fail by H.G. Parsa et al

    Part I – https://daniels.du.edu/assets/research-hg-parsa-part-1-2015.pdf

    Part II –  https://daniels.du.edu/assets/research-hg-parsa-part-2-2015.pdf

    Part III – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/293107223_Why_do_restaurants_fail_Part_III_An_analysis_of_macro_and_micro_factors

    Part IV – https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269990249_Why_Restaurants_Fail_Part_IV_The_Relationship_between_Restaurant_Failures_and_Demographic_Factors

    Part V –  https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326881411_Why_Restaurants_Fail_Part_V_Role_of_Economic_Factors_Risk_Density_Location_Cuisine_Health_Code_Violations_and_GIS_Factors (Full text not available)

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  • Episode 88 – How to use the Stranger in a Strange Land Technique

    Guys, I think Sean might be an alien…

    Picture this. You are an alien, and you have no idea what a cell phone is. Some one explains, but you have more questions. That is what we are talking about in today’s episode!

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    SOURCES https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/219472

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  • Episode 87 – Interview with Tom Ruwitch

    We love telling stories here at The Marketing Gateway!

    How is story telling a marketing tool? Find out that, and more, in today’s interview with Tom Ruwitch!

    About Tom:

    Tom Ruwitch is a business advisor, storytelling standout, and content marketing pioneer who helps business leaders create, deliver, and track client-attracting content and cure tech headaches. In 2001, Tom founded the email marketing software and services company MarketVolt. This was before most business people had even heard of email marketing, much less tried it. MarketVolt licensed its groundbreaking software to businesses around the globe, and it operated as a full-service agency – helping businesses of all sizes attract prospects and land clients with online and offline marketing strategies and tactics. After selling MarketVolt in 2019, Tom founded Story Power Marketing. Authors, coaches, and other experts hire Tom to transform their content from boring to brilliant – without writer’s block – so prospects tune in, turn on and buy. In 2021, Tom launched Implementum — an all-in-one marketing, operations, and analytics platform that includes customized, done-for-you campaigns, strategy, and hands-on-training. Implementum helps business leaders build automated marketing machines so they can grow and profit without tech headaches.

    Tom’s Plugs:

    https://yourgiftfromtom.com/

    Home

    https://implementum.net/

    Contact Tom: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomruwitch/

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  • Episode 86 – The Perils of Pricing

    We provide The Marketing Gateway for the low price of free.99 🙂

    Pricing is very important when it comes to marketing. It has a lot of factors that you have to consider when determining it, just for consumers to shrug and say they won’t pay it! That is why you have to get it right, or things may fall through.

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    Sources: https://pen.org/what-the-dog-saw-and-other-adventures/  

    Chop-O-Matic Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGo7W_mbWCE  

    https://blog.hubspot.com/sales/pricing-strategy  

    https://sawtoothsoftware.com/resources/blog/posts/van-westendorp-pricing-sensitivity-meter

    Vintage Popeil Chop-o-Matic New Giant Food Chopper No. 30 Original Box.

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  • Episode 85 – Interview with Ryan Green

    Poker actually translates to marketing pretty well!

    How can poker skills translate over to marketing? Find out today when we talk to Ryan Green!

    About Ryan:

    Ryan brings over 15 years of experience in marketing and analytics. In 2014, Ryan became the first employee of Coegi, launching the day-to-day operations of the company. He later assumed the role of Operations Director, overseeing the implementation of Coegi’s tech stack on The Trade Desk, DV360, White Ops, 4C, and Abode. After three years as the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Innovation, Ryan has recently launched The Last Splash, a media consultancy which aims to help brands navigate the complex world of the modern media ecosystem.

    Contact Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryangreen83?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

    Ryan’s plugs: https://amasaintlouis.org/ https://bestmarketingconference.com/

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  • Episode 84 – The Power of Purpose-Based Marketing

    What do you stand for?

    Marketing campaigns can be a great way of showing what your brand stands for, but it can also be seen as virtue signaling, and have the opposite effect!

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    Sources:

    https://www.adcouncil.org/all-articles/what-is-purpose-driven-marketing

    https://www.forbes.com/councils/forbesagencycouncil/2022/12/27/7-steps-to-create-a-purpose-driven-marketing-strategy/

    https://www.zenogroup.com/insights/2020-zeno-strength-purpose

    https://people.com/bud-light-controversy-everything-to-know-7547159 https://leighraeder.com/breast-cancer-charities-the-best-and-worst/

    https://web.archive.org/web/20170329130252/

    http://www.summiticeapparel.com/news/

    https://apnews.com/article/target-pride-lgbtq-4bc9de6339f86748bcb8a453d7b9acf0

    https://www.fastcompany.com/91346998/why-target-pride-merch-feels-so-bad

    https://www.patagonia.com/actionworks//#home/choose-location https://portermedia.com/blogs/blog-posts/purpose-driven-marketing-campaigns

    https://www.mastercard.com/us/en/personal/find-a-card/true-name.html

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  • Episode 83 – Interview with Richmond Addo Danquah

    He’s a former student of mine, and now a friend, and I’m excited to have him on the show!

    What is people analytics, and how does it relate to marketing? Find out today as we talk with Richmond Addo Danquah!

    About Richmond:

    With a global lens and a passion for solving business-critical problems, I lead People Analytics for 3 business groups at Thermo Fisher Scientific, impacting over 43,000 employees worldwide. My role bridges data, research and strategy, partnering with senior leaders across HR, & the business (Finance, Commercial, Operations, R&D, etc ) to inform decisions that drive performance, efficiency, and growth. My work spans a broad portfolio of high-impact initiatives, including: _Organizational health and retirement risk analyses_ Accelerated hiring strategies for commercial teams _Identifying traits of top-performing sales reps_Location & Cost Optimization Strategy _Product Management Team Enhancement_Identifying and mitigating preventable turnover issues specifically for Early tenures & HIPOs _Training 200+ global HR professionals to adopt self-service analytics_ Spans & layers optimization, leadership pipeline reviews, and more Each project is designed to not just answer questions but to spark action to improve business outcomes. I bring a unique blend of business & financial acumen, data fluency, research skills and a builder’s mindset to every engagement.

    Contact Richmond: http://www.linkedin.com/in/richmond-addo-danquah-sphr-93b58a79

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  • Episode 82 – How a Retailer Lucked Out with an Employee Influencer

    Can an influencer be a “The Marketing Gateway” baddie?

    Sometimes a marketing campaign can be entirely organic, and sometimes those work better than planned ones!

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    SOURCES  

    Example video: https://www.tiktok.com/@blivxx/video/7604214257508617486  

    https://www.reddit.com/r/Staples/comments/1rck7kf/staples_baddie_on_tiktok_low_key_makes_me_mad/  

    https://www.fastcompany.com/91495470/staples-baddie-gen-z-employee-what-the-retailer-is-doing-about-internet-fame

      https://edition.cnn.com/2026/03/02/business/staples-baddie-tiktok-sales-nyc-cec  

    https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/has-influencer-marketing-peaked/ar-AA1UTiwF  

    https://sproutsocial.com/insights/future-influencer-marketing/  

    https://martechseries.com/social/influencer-marketing/influencer-marketing-in-2025-new-data-reveals-what-works-what-costs-and-whats-next/  

    https://www.creator-hero.com/blog/who-are-influencers-and-why-do-brands-collaborate-with-them

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  • Episode 81 – Interview with Priscilla McKinney

    Networking is an important part of marketing, so let’s talk about it!

    We have a real treat of a guest today! We are talking to Priscilla McKinney!

    About Priscilla:

    Priscilla McKinney is the CEO and Momma Bird at Little Bird Marketing, home of SOAR™ and Revenue Sprints, proprietary content processes designed to create sustainable revenue generation for busy leaders so they can have confidence in the growth of their company without losing focus on their other responsibilities. She is a serial entrepreneur, host of two podcasts and author of “Collaboration is the New Competition”. She is a popular speaker and podcast guest, recipient of many design, entrepreneurship and industry awards including the Insights Association’s Laureate designation. Priscilla personifies creativity, entrepreneurship and authentic leadership – inspiring others to carve out their own path of success in her uniquely funny, no-nonsense and slightly irreverent way. Don’t give her caffeine. She doesn’t need it.

    Contact Priscilla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillamckinney/

    Priscilla’s Book: https://a.co/d/0ckHKdO0

    Priscilla’s Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3qbqV6GLDZ0UGWbYp3HiH3?si=6dc14834d54c496a

    Priscilla’s Plug: https://insightsmarketingday.com/

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  • Episode 80 – How to NOT Lose your Job because of AI

    The Marketing Gateway does NOT utilize AI or humanoid robots in our production. Ignore the smoke coming from Sean’s ears.

    AI has cost plenty of people their jobs already, but there is an easy way for you to not add to that count!

    This month I am plugging the St. Louis chapter of the AMA. To become a member, you can visit https://amasaintlouis.org/.

    SOURCES

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/feb/27/block-ai-layoffs-jack-dorsey

    https://www.reuters.com/business/world-at-work/companies-cutting-jobs-investments-shift-toward-ai-2026-02-25

    https://www.cnbc.com/2025/11/26/mit-study-finds-ai-can-already-replace-11point7percent-of-us-workforce.html#:~:text=Massachusetts%20Institute%20of%20Technology%20released,and%20Oak%20Ridge%20National%20Laboratory.

    https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ars-technica-fires-reporter-ai-quotes

    https://www.404media.co/ars-technica-pulls-article-with-ai-fabricated-quotes-about-ai-generated-article

    https://arstechnica.com/staff/2026/02/editors-note-retraction-of-article-containing-fabricated-quotations/?ref=404media.co

    https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/supreme-court-declines-case-on-granting-copyright-to-ai-created-art

    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/ng-interactive/2026/feb/28/chatgpt-ai-chatbot-mental-health

    https://www.livescience.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/the-more-that-people-use-ai-the-more-likely-they-are-to-overestimate-their-own-abilities

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