In this episode of The Host City Hustle Podcast, DaniMarie sits down with LinkedIn and AI expert Al Kushner to break down how small businesses can use LinkedIn as a powerful search engine to attract partners, sponsors, and opportunities ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. From profile optimization to AI-driven content and outreach, this conversation delivers practical strategies business owners can apply right now.

Guest info:

linkedin.com/in/al-kushner

calendly.com/alkushner/speaker-interest (Other)

AlKushnerSpeaks.com (Company)

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle https://www.instagram.com/hostcityhustle/

Business Planner: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Who referred you? https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

• 00:00–00:30 Introduction & guest welcome (Al Kushner, LinkedIn & AI expert)
• 00:30–01:30 What the AI LinkedIn Advantage is and why LinkedIn matters
• 01:30–02:20 Why LinkedIn feels intimidating—and why it shouldn’t
• 02:20–03:30 LinkedIn as a free, non–pay-to-play growth platform
• 03:30–04:30 Using LinkedIn as a search engine for sponsors & partners
• 04:30–05:45 How small businesses can prepare for the World Cup using LinkedIn
• 05:45–06:45 Profile optimization basics: headlines, keywords, visuals
• 06:45–07:30 FIFA 2026 impact on host cities like Miami
• 07:30–08:30 Tourism, local economies, and business opportunities
• 08:30–09:30 Who Al works with and industries seeing the most demand
• 09:30–10:15 Financial & legal professionals as LinkedIn thought leaders
• 10:15–10:50 Sponsor shoutout: Prosperity Abundance
• 10:50–11:30 How to connect with Al + free LinkedIn audit resource
• 11:30–End Final thoughts & call to action

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle

Custom GPT: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Referral: https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

HOSTS

Aharon Goins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharon-goins/

DaniMarie Perkins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/itisidanimarie/

SPONSORS

Prosperity Abundance — prosperity-abundance.com

Black Box — intro.blackboxfranchising.com/danielleperkins

• LinkedIn marketing for small businesses
• AI content strategy
• World Cup 2026 business readiness

In this impromptu solo episode, DaniMarie pivots from a postponed webinar to thank the global Host City Hustle audience and break down how small business owners can position themselves for the FIFA World Cup across the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. She also unpacks the controversy around FIFA awarding Donald Trump the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize, framing it as a strategic move tied to global travel, operations, and economic impact.

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle https://www.instagram.com/hostcityhustle/

Business Planner: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Who referred you? https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle

Custom GPT: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Referral: https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

HOSTS

Aharon Goins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharon-goins/

DaniMarie Perkins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/itisidanimarie/

SPONSORS

Prosperity Abundance — prosperity-abundance.com

Black Box — intro.blackboxfranchising.com/danielleperkins

00:00 – Impromptu episode, pivot from planned webinar & shoutout to listeners

01:03 – Global audience recognition & World Cup opportunity for small businesses

02:00 – Marketing strategy focus + directing listeners to HostCityHustle.com

03:18 – FIFA backlash over Trump receiving the first FIFA Peace Prize

04:00 – Strategic interpretation of FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s decision

05:30 – Why this replaces Throwback Thursday & invitation to audience discussion

06:10 – Behind-the-scenes roles, accelerator programs, and weekly meetups

07:00 – Call to engage, cross-promote with sports podcasters, and upcoming events

07:47 – Closing, mom-life moment, and e-book pre-order reminder

FIFA World Cup 2026

Small Business Strategy

Sports Business & Marketing

SEO expert Peter Kalanda breaks down how small businesses can capture World Cup 2026 traffic before global fans land in U.S. cities. He shares tactical SEO moves, Google optimization strategies, and AI insights that local brands can implement immediately. This episode matters because early adopters in host cities like Los Angeles will earn massive visibility and revenue as billions tune in and millions travel for FIFA 2026.

Guest Site: https://siteauditnow.com

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle https://www.instagram.com/hostcityhustle/

Business Planner: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Who referred you? https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

00:00 — Peter Kalanda joins Host City Hustle

02:30 — From immigrant roots to leading a digital agency

04:10 — Scaling a company from $300K to $3M using SEO fundamentals

05:55 — World Cup 2026 impact and why small businesses must prepare now

07:40 — Google My Business tactics for host cities

09:20 — Keywords, hashtags, and social strategy differences

11:00 — How long SEO really takes and where quick wins appear

13:15 — Why waiting until spring is too late for World Cup optimization

15:00 — AI’s real role in SEO and why businesses still need experts

18:45 — World Cup partnerships, local collaborations, and city opportunities

Host City Hustle: https://hostcityhustle.com

IG: @hostcityhustle

Custom GPT: https://hostcityhustle.com/ai-planner

Referral: https://www.honeybook.com/widget/plan_to_podcast_278832/cf_id/691bfd475fffb60035917a7a

HOSTS

Aharon Goins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/aharon-goins/

DaniMarie Perkins — https://www.linkedin.com/in/itisidanimarie/

SPONSORS

Prosperity Abundance — prosperity-abundance.com

Black Box — intro.blackboxfranchising.com/danielleperkins

🔑

World Cup SEO | Los Angeles business marketing | FIFA 2026 strategy