Episodes

  • The End of 'Likes', 'Reach' & 'Impressions': Trust Is the New Metrics Brands Care About

    The End of 'Likes', 'Reach' & 'Impressions': Trust Is the New Metrics Brands Care About
    Oct 20 2025
    This episode explores one of the most profound shifts happening in marketing and media today — the collapse of traditional vanity metrics like likes, views, and impressions, and the rise of trust as the defining measure of influence. The discussion begins by unpacking the saturation of the digital world — endless content, AI-generated posts, and consumer fatigue leading to widespread skepticism. Audiences are overloaded, advertisers are frustrated, and the old playbook of counting followers or measuring reach no longer works. The hosts follow the data trail, revealing how metrics once treated as gold standards have lost credibility, and how brands are rewriting the rules to focus on authenticity, measurable trust, and real-world results. Through research and case studies, the episode explains how marketing has evolved from a volume game to a value game. It outlines the collapse of engagement fraud — bots, purchased followers, and artificial likes — and details how brands now demand hard ROI metrics such as ROAS, CPA, LTV, and conversion per follower (CPF). The conversation highlights why smaller, trusted creators often outperform massive influencers and how transparency, credibility, and audience belief have become the ultimate differentiators. Listeners also learn how the new “Modern Metrics Toolkit” works — analyzing comment authenticity, sentiment scores, saves, shares, brand lift, and Net Promoter Scores to quantify trust in action. The episode dives into how performance-based contracts, retention metrics, and brand sentiment tracking are redefining success across industries — from fast-moving DTC brands and fashion to long-cycle B2B deals. CHAPTERS 00:00 The Economy of Attention 03:05 The Breakdown of Vanity Metrics 05:59 The Shift to Trust as a KPI 09:06 Measuring Trust and Influence 12:07 The Modern Metrics Toolkit 15:04 Engagement Quality and High-Intent Actions 18:00 Conversion Rates and Performance Metrics 21:09 Long-Term Relationships and Customer Loyalty 24:11 Brand Sentiment and Advocacy 27:03 Industry-Specific Metrics 30:06 The Future of Trust in Marketing Connect with Michael Wildes mikewildes.com LinkedIn: Michael Wildes X: @Captainwildes YouTube: @MichaelMJWildes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    36 mins
  • How YouTube Rebuilt Television From the Ground Up - The $100 Billion Upload

    How YouTube Rebuilt Television From the Ground Up - The $100 Billion Upload
    Oct 17 2025
    YouTube just ate television—and it’s still hungry. In this episode, we unpack how the world’s largest video platform quietly became the most powerful media network on Earth. What started as cat videos and vlogs has evolved into a $100 billion creator economy—one that’s now rewriting the rules of sports, entertainment, and storytelling itself. You’ll hear how YouTube’s payout model is shifting wealth from studios to individuals, how creators like MrBeast, Dhar Mann, and Kinigra Deon are building full-scale production studios from scratch, and why Hollywood’s last remaining stronghold—live sports—is falling next. We’ll also examine Netflix’s counter-move, its new partnership with Spotify, and what it says about a streaming war no longer fought over content, but over creators. The real story isn’t about disruption—it’s about redistribution. Every dollar YouTube pays a creator is a transfer of power from the few to the many. As billions move from legacy studios into the hands of independent producers, a new labor market is forming—one defined by creativity, ownership, and scale. The episode breaks down the economics behind YouTube’s $36 billion in ad revenue, $32 billion in annual creator payouts, and the platform’s 13 percent share of all U.S. TV screen time. We explore how this money flow is turning creators into businesses, businesses into networks, and networks into the new studios of our time. YouTube’s story is no longer about clicks or virality—it’s about the reindustrialization of storytelling, where anyone with a camera and conviction can compete with the biggest names in media. The creator economy isn’t a trend. It’s the new television. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    14 mins
  • Inside the $9 Billion Polymarket Deal: How 27-Year-Old Shayne Coplan Cracked the Code of Real Wealth

    Inside the $9 Billion Polymarket Deal: How 27-Year-Old Shayne Coplan Cracked the Code of Real Wealth
    Oct 16 2025
    This podcast first existed as a newsletter. Read it here. When 27-year-old Shayne Coplan sold his belongings to pay rent, no one imagined he’d one day be sitting across from the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, closing a $9 billion deal. But that’s exactly what happened when ICE—the parent company of the NYSE—invested $2 billion into his company, Polymarket. In this episode, we unpack the real story behind Coplan’s rise—from FBI raids and regulatory shutdowns to becoming the youngest self-made billionaire in America. His story isn’t just about innovation; it’s about understanding how the modern wealth ladder actually works. You’ll hear how Coplan turned academic theory into a market-moving platform, how he navigated compliance by recruiting former regulators, and how his network—spanning Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood—became his ultimate moat. Shayne Coplan’s journey from broke dropout to billionaire reveals the three phases of real wealth: first, knowledge makes you dangerous as you master your craft and build something the world needs; next, network becomes the multiplier, turning legitimacy into access and opening doors that skill alone can’t; finally, influence becomes the moat, where trust and alignment matter more than talent. Polymarket’s rise wasn’t just about technology—it was about earning legitimacy, managing relationships, and understanding that ideas make you money, but people make you matter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    17 mins
  • W-2 by Day, 1099 by Night: The New Middle Class LLC

    W-2 by Day, 1099 by Night: The New Middle Class LLC
    Oct 16 2025
    This podcast first existed as a newsletter. Read it here. More Americans need multiple jobs just to stay afloat. What used to be a “side hustle” has quietly become a second paycheck, a safety net, and for millions—a way to survive when one full-time income no longer covers the basics. In this episode, we break down how the old social contract—one job, one income, one safety net—has unraveled. We look at the data behind the shift, from rising 1099 filings to falling wage security, and hear the real stories behind the statistics: Maria in retail and rideshare, Jamal in security and IT, and Carla balancing office work with weekend catering. We unpack how inflation, credit rates, and unstable schedules have made side income essential—and how this new class of workers has learned to treat time like money. They plan their weeks like businesses: tracking margins, protecting sleep, and managing taxes on every dollar. The takeaway is clear: the side hustle isn’t on the side anymore. It’s the scaffolding holding the middle class together. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    20 mins
  • The Inside Track with Michael Wildes

    The Inside Track with Michael Wildes
    May 26 2025
    Welcome to the Inside Track. My Name is Michael Wildes, Founder and CEO of Drive Phase Holding Co. I’m producing The Inside Track because I’m fascinated by how the world around us is shifting: how people work, live, and build the future. It's also the flagship show for Drive Phase. Drive Phase is a permanent‑capital firm dedicated to building the next generation of enduring companies across five core sectors—Business, Aviation, Media, and Philanthropy. Rather than buying and flipping assets, we launch ventures in‑house, scale them with a shared operating system, and hold them indefinitely. Strategic venture investments and precision bolt‑ons give each platform an extra surge when it counts, but the compounding value comes from the continuous momentum we create and maintain. As for the show, we’re living in arguably the most exciting time in history. As Charles Dickens said, this is the best of times. It might be the worst, too—but I’m focused squarely on the upside. It feels like we’re living through multiple industrial revolutions at once—technology, energy, space travel, media, entertainment, policy—you name it. I launched Drive Phase to sit at the convergence of these trends, and I want to share what I’m seeing, hearing, and thinking—the headlines, the stories, the signals—the inside track on how we really work, live, and build what’s next. For us, the most interesting things happen where industries collide because life doesn’t happen in silos, and neither will the future. Dickens also said, “It was the age of wisdom, and it was the age of foolishness.” It’s easy to get it wrong. Amid all the signals, there is plenty of noise. We want to help you cut through that. So, welcome to The Inside Track. Brought to you by ⁠The Wave⁠ on ⁠The Frequency Network⁠. More About Michael WildesExplore the work of ⁠Michael Wildes⁠—entrepreneur, strategist, pilot, and founder of Drive Phase, a permanent capital company operating at the intersection of media, aviation, business, and philanthropy. Let's connect: Website⁠ LinkedIn⁠⁠ X (formerly Twitter)⁠ Production, Distribution, and Marketing Produced by ⁠Massif Studio & Production⁠ and ⁠The Tallawah Group⁠. ⁠Massif Studio Website⁠ ⁠Massif on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Tallawah Website⁠ ⁠Tallawah on LinkedIn⁠ For sponsorship inquiries, contact: ⁠hello@MassifKroo.com⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    4 mins