Marketing Against The Grain

Latest Episodes:

I Built a Team of AI Assistants That Live in My Email Inbox (Mail Manus Tutorial) Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Get the guide to create AI Agents: https://clickhubspot.com/wvh

Ep. 403

Can you build a team of AI assistants—like a competitive researcher, content strategist, and world-class data analyst—all inside your email inbox?

Kieran dives into how AI specialists can supercharge your productivity right from your inbox. Learn more on setting up inbox-native AI agents, why bespoke email-based delegation beats chatbots, and the game-changing workflows for competitive analysis and content repurposing—all done through your email.

Mentions

Mail Manus https://manus.im/features/mail
Airtable https://www.airtable.com/
OpenAI https://openai.com/
Claude https://claude.ai/
Gemini https://gemini.google.com/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

Meta’s AI Agent is Better Than OpenClaw (Manus AI Demo) Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Automate your work with our AI Agents Playbook: https://clickhubspot.com/gkh

Ep. 402

How to get your own personal game changing autonomous agent.

Kipp and Kieran dive into how Meta’s newly acquired Manus AI agent quietly outpaces the hype around OpenClaw—making autonomous agents accessible, useful, and genuinely transformative for marketers and beyond. Learn more on why Manus might just be better than OpenClaw, how you can set up your own personal AI agent in just minutes, and the power of “skills” for unlocking workflows across email, messaging, and even content creation.

Mentions

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

770,000 Agents, 0 Humans: Inside the First AI Social Network Feb 17, 2026

Show notes

Get the AI Agents Playbook: https://clickhubspot.com/fno

Ep. 401

There's a huge social network for agents—where humans aren’t allowed to post.

Kieran dives into how a weekend project became an autonomous AI ecosystem, changing how we interact with the web. Learn more about the meteoric growth and viral community of OpenClaw, the wild agent-only social network Moltbook, the real-world security challenges that come with autonomous agents, and how you can safely get started experimenting with your own AI agent today.

Mentions

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

This AI Workflow Replaces 10 Hours of Ad Research Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Get our 5 AI workflows + 15 prompts to automate social trends research: https://clickhubspot.com/egs

Ep. 400

Can you automate the most painful, time-consuming parts of marketing with AI—without sacrificing creativity or results?

Kipp and Mike Futia (Founder of SCALE AI) dive into Mike’s real-world blueprint for AI-powered social trendspotting and creative production for brands. Learn more on building custom AI tools (no coding experience required), the line between automation and human creative input, and which AI workflows actually move marketing metrics instead of making more work.

Mentions

Mike Futia https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-futia-108709126/
Apify https://apify.com/
Claude https://claude.ai/
n8n https://n8n.io/
Zapier https://zapier.com/
Make.com https://www.make.com/
Weavy https://www.weavy.ai/
Nano Banana https://nanobananaimg.com/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

The Claude Update That Just Changed Marketing Forever Feb 10, 2026

Show notes

Get the guide for $100k AI jobs no one's talking about: https://clickhubspot.com/wkr

Ep. 399

We are now transitioning from vibe coding to vibe working?

Kieran dives into the historic evolution of AI from a tool you chat with to a team you manage, and why this changes the future of work. Learn more on the rise of agentic AI teams that autonomously handle projects, how Claude and similar models are embedding themselves directly into essential tools like Excel and PowerPoint, and why mastering outcome-based thinking (rather than task-based delegation) will separate those who thrive in the "vibe working" era from those left behind.

Mentions

Anthropic https://www.anthropic.com/
Claude https://claude.ai/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

This AI Workflow Turns Every Sales Call Into a Custom Deck Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Grab Kristin’s free prompts & automations for better slides: https://clickhubspot.com/3e23f6

Ep. 398

Are slides the most underappreciated format of content on the internet—and has AI totally changed how we should use them?

Kipp, Kieran, and Kristin Fracchia of Gamma, dive into the new world of automated, AI-powered slide workflows that turn every sales call, meeting, or brainstorming session into a high-impact visual deck. Learn more on using AI for automated sales follow-ups, brainstorming from data sources like Slack channels, and creating stunning, animated presentations—all with tools that make slides faster, more effective, and way more fun.

Mentions

Kristin Fracchia linkedin.com/in/kristinfracchia
Gamma https://gamma.app/
Zapier https://zapier.com/
Gong https://www.gong.io/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

Stop Prompting: Build an AI "Design App" Instead (Demo) Feb 03, 2026

Show notes

Description link: Want access to Lior Albeck's AI toolkit? Get it here: https://clickhubspot.com/eb1adb

Ep. 397

If you’re not building systems for creative work, are you falling behind?

Kipp and Lior Albeck (CEO and Co-Founder of Weavy) dive into how AI is radically changing creative marketing and why system-building is now essential to stay competitive. Learn more on how to break down the mindshift every team needs, how to future-proof your creative assets, and the secrets behind building an AI-native company—plus, practical ways anyone can start systematizing their creative process today.

Mentions

Lior Albeck https://www.linkedin.com/in/lioralbeck/
Weavy https://www.weavy.ai/
Figma https://www.figma.com/
Zapier https://zapier.com/
Nano Banana https://gemini.google/overview/image-generation/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

ChatGPT Ads: The New Arbitrage for 2026 Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

Steal our winning strategy to optimize your content for AI discovery: https://clickhubspot.com/swa

Attend Kieran's free Webinar on Reclaiming Strategic Time in the AI Era: https://hubs.la/Q040m6fn0

Ep. 396

Could ChatGPT become a $47 billion ads business by matching Google’s user monetization?

Kipp and Kieran dive into the massive opportunity for marketers as ChatGPT and AI platforms launch new ad products. Learn more on three gold rush opportunities in the coming wave of AI ads, how intent-based advertising will change conversion rates and ROI, the new playbook for building apps and review sites, and why better analytics and targeting will transform your marketing strategy for 2026.

Mentions

ChatGPT https://chatgpt.com/
MoneySuperMarket https://www.moneysupermarket.com/

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

This AI Tool Works Like a $300,000 McKinsey Consultant Jan 27, 2026

Show notes

Get our playbook to reverse engineer any competitor + 10 market research prompts: https://clickhubspot.com/mkv

Ep. 395

Making market research more efficient and way cheaper.

Kipp and Kieran dive into why Manus may be the world’s best marketing analyst—and why most marketers are sleeping on it. Learn more on how you can unlock high-value, easy-to-use market research, competitive intelligence, and actionable insights by combining Manus with SimilarWeb data, see how to model budgets using real traffic benchmarks, and watch as Kipp and Kieran turn cutting-edge research into killer presentations and website designs in minutes.

Mentions

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat

‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

Marketing is Already Dead, You Just Don't Know It Jan 22, 2026

Show notes

Get our AI content system that keeps your content human: https://clickhubspot.com/krv

Ep. 394

Is automating comments with AI the future of marketing, or a path to disaster?

Kipp and Kieran dive into the controversial rise of AI marketing agents and why automating community engagement could ruin what makes marketing—and the Internet—remarkable. Learn more on why human-crafted content and authentic participation build real brands, the problems with automating community interactions, and how to use AI as a powerful assistant instead of a shortcut to mediocrity.

Mentions

Get our guide to build your own Custom GPT: https://clickhubspot.com/customgpt

We’re creating our next round of content and want to ensure it tackles the challenges you’re facing at work or in your business.

To understand your biggest challenges we’ve put together a survey and we’d love to hear from you! https://bit.ly/matg-research

Resource

[Free] Steal our favorite AI Prompts featured on the show! Grab them here: https://clickhubspot.com/aip

We’re on Social Media! Follow us for everyday marketing wisdom straight to your feed

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGtXqPiNV8YC0GMUzY-EUFg

Twitter: https://twitter.com/matgpod

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@matgpod

Join our community https://landing.connect.com/matg

Thank you for tuning into Marketing Against The Grain!

Don’t forget to hit subscribe and follow us on Apple Podcasts (so you never miss an episode)! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934

If you love this show, please leave us a 5-Star Review https://link.chtbl.com/h9_sjBKH and share your favorite episodes with friends.

We really appreciate your support.

Host Links:

Kipp Bodnar, https://twitter.com/kippbodnar

Kieran Flanagan, https://twitter.com/searchbrat
‘Marketing Against The Grain’ is a HubSpot Original Podcast // Brought to you by Hubspot Media // Produced by Darren Clarke.

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