Wait What Really OK with Loren Weisman

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Latest Episodes:

Fake Authors Using AI: Exposing Fake Authorship in the Age of AI Aug 09, 2025

Two minute prompts do not make anyone an author. In this episode I share where I stand on the ads promising a finished book in minutes, why I believe the term author is losing its meaning, and how I separate using AI as a tool from using it to fake authority. I have written three books under my own name. The second took the better part of twelve and a half months of writing, 1,200 pages cut down to 478 with an editor who read every one of them. That is the process I compare against when an ad says you can prompt a book and go to lunch. What I cover: where I believe AI can sit in a book without taking away from the author, such as developmental edits, grammar, proofreading and compliance checks; the fake course problem, where a ten minute form becomes a product sold as expertise; the anthology pitch, where you pay to be listed as a co author beside people you have not vetted; and the book that is really an ad pamphlet, with a call to action in every chapter. I also share the red flags I watch for: a person who had almost nothing online and suddenly has five books, daily blogs and a set of courses within a few months. And I share how I use AI myself, for captions, keyword phrases and descriptions after the content is made, because I would rather say how I use it than hide it. The decision stays yours. Would you tell your daughter, your son or someone you look up to how you made your book? If something about that answer nags at you, that is the whole episode. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/08/09/fake-authors-using-ai/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Planning a Brand Strategy Blueprint for Your Book: Steps for Real Authority Jun 05, 2025

I do not believe everybody has a book in them. If you do, and it is your story, this episode is what I would put in place before the writing is done, from my own three books: one self published, one hybrid and one with a major publisher. I open with the Amazon bestseller trick as I understand it: pick a tiny category, pay for a burst of downloads, screenshot the number one for the minutes it lasts, and call yourself a bestseller. I share why I see that as a lie, and why I would rather build a foundation than buy a badge. Then the blueprint itself. Flashcards to find the chapters and sections before writing a line. A file per chapter so you can write whatever section you are ready for that day, in any order, without burning out. Chapter titles that can stand on their own, each with a tagline, an opening thought and a closing thought. My second book went to reviewers as a PDF of only those opening and closing thoughts, and it brought a lot more interest and a lot more people asking for the entire book. I also share the release order I used: ebook first, then paperback and hardcover, then one audio chapter a month for twelve months at 99 cents to a few dollars a chapter, so a reader could test drive a chapter instead of being told to buy the book. Plus your own quotes in the book rather than other people's, posted to Goodreads and the quote sites before release, and the domains and social handles taken while the book is still an outline. That is what I sent with a proposal on a Friday that came back accepted on the Monday. I close on the contract I did not read closely enough, what it cost me, and why I now say get a lawyer on the paragraph you are unsure of. Working with me on a book blueprint is one option. Doing this yourself is another. Either way, the foundation comes first. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/brand-strategy-blueprint/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Honest AI will not replace humans. May 20, 2025

I am not anti AI and I am not selling it either. Recorded outside on a windy May afternoon, this one is my middle ground: where I believe AI can be something strong, where I see it already being abused, and what I think has to be in place for the first to win out. I start with 2003 and the music industry. I put out a press release then about what digital downloads would do to artists, and I share why I think the lack of regulation, accountability and organization in that industry is the same wild west AI is in now, on a much bigger scale. From there, five areas I see growing through 2030: advanced multimodal systems, agentic and autonomous agents, quantum AI for specialized problem solving, reasoning and frontier models, and industry specific applications such as fraud detection. For each I share the side I find exciting and the side I find dangerous, like the headshot that is no longer you or the stage photo of a crowd that was never there. The core of it: I believe honest AI will not replace humans because the people asking the questions still have to know what to ask, what to vet and what red flags to raise. A prompt returns popular answers. It does not return the discovery, the local context, the money, the reputation and the law that a real plan needs. I share the paralegal example, the album count AI gets wrong about me, and why I check every link a model hands back. I also share why I would welcome standards, committees and, yes, fines. Why I like the blockchain idea for proving when something was written and whether it was altered. And why I believe every business should publish a statement of how it uses AI and how it does not. A long one and a bit of a rant. That is where I stand. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/05/20/honest-ai-podcast-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

How My Daughter Changed My Approach to Business Integrity May 13, 2025

Nothing has had the impact on me that my daughter has, and this episode is where my foundation comes from, for anyone thinking about working with me. I share the parts of my early career I am not proud of: ghost drumming on albums I already knew were write offs, autotune standing in for a singer hitting the note, television work where the deception was the product and the public bought it anyway. I was not an immoral person. I did things that sat wrong, and I let them go. Then my daughter was born, and the question changed. Not how do I make money on this, but could I tell her who I am working with, what they sell and how I am helping them. If I could not, I stopped. It cost me some money. I became more picky. I am proud of that. That is now my vetting stance for every client: if I cannot get on the phone with my daughter and share the basics of what I am building and who I am building it for, I should not be doing it. I will not profit at the expense of anyone, and I will not work with anyone who is trying to get something over someone else. I also share where I stand on the guarantee culture, the "sell me a pen" optic, and the advice I give clients: if someone guarantees results online, get that guarantee written into the contract and watch how fast it changes. A different kind of episode. Partly a ramble, partly a letter she may find one day. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/05/13/how-my-daughter-changed-my-approach/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Fake Amazon reviews and ways to see through them Feb 03, 2025

Click the reviewer. That is where I start when a product has a wall of five stars, and this episode is the rest of what I look at before I believe a review, whether it is glowing or vicious. I share the patterns I see in bought and botted reviews: profiles with one or two reviews, the same wording repeated across accounts, the "leave us five stars for a coupon" card in the box, the negative campaigns run against products that are doing well, and the LinkedIn posting parties where forty reviews land in two hours after two weeks of silence. I also share what I would rather read: the four star review, the person who took three weeks to write it, the one written subjectively rather than "this is the best." And a feature I wish Amazon would add, the time between delivery and review, because a beard oil reviewed on day one tells me nothing and reviewed on day twenty one tells me something. For businesses putting reviews on their own site: "John S. says this is the greatest thing" with no link is worth very little. Back link to Google Business, Yelp, Trustpilot or Amazon so a reader can see the person exists. I would rather have a thin profile that is real than a full one that was bought. The reviewers are not held liable. So if you buy on the strength of reviews you never checked, that ends up on you. Dig a little deeper. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/fake-amazon-reviews-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

First Discovery steps I take with clients and onboarding approaches Jan 10, 2025

Your voice, not a voice. This short one is how I start with a client, and a list of what I would ask of anyone doing your messaging, optics, strategy or marketing if it is not me. Too many people rebuilding a brand get dropped into a template that already existed, with the same "appear as an expert" phrasing everyone else is using. I share the person I ran across with real authority whose call to actions and masterclass hype made him sound like someone with none, and why I believe that took his authority down. The cornerstone for me is discovery before anything is written: where you come from, what you have done, how you work, what you will and will not do, who you will and will not work with, what compliance allows in your field, and what the competition is doing, not to copy it but to find where you stand. From that comes an individualized messaging packet that can feed content, web, bio, a book outline, a podcast plan or none of those. I also share the chiropractor and the fart joke, and why jumping on the trending copycat bit brings nothing of you to it. Stop casting the net for everyone. Decide who you most want to work with and say who you are not for. My own boundary is in here too. If you are not prepared to be transparent, I am not judging you, but I will not work with you. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/10/first-discovery-steps/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Where has all the vetting gone? Nov 05, 2024

Did you get screwed over, or did you allow it? Recorded on election day 2024 in one take, this is where I stand on the lack of vetting I see everywhere, and what I do instead. I share the CBD companies whose "third party" labs turned out to be owned by the product company under another name, found by following the state filings. The Amazon box insert offering a gift card for five stars. The courses on how to appear as a professional that never mention becoming one. And the businesses built to be shut down and restarted the moment something goes wrong, with no full name, no face and nothing that ties the person to the company. What I do: I ask for the claim in writing on the invoice, with the refund attached, and watch what happens. I use the Wayback Machine to see how far back a person's story goes and whether the authority grew or appeared overnight. And I ask whether they would take this exact path with their own son, daughter, mother or father. I also share my own line. If I cannot see the authority in you, I cannot work with you, because I will not create a false authority for you. If that means it is not the time for the book or the podcast yet, then it is not the time. If you are hearing everything you want to hear, that may be the bad sign. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/vetting-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Google it or googling it does not provide authority answers Feb 08, 2024

"Google it" is not proof. When someone tells you to Google something, they may own the first page, and the number one result is a popularity ranking, not an objective fact. This episode is what I do instead. I share the CBD years, when "Google it, here are the lab results" led to labs owned by the company selling the product, and what I believe that lying cost the whole category. I share the one page "educational" sites that trace back to the person making the claim, and the life coach who says Google it and gets a page of hype with nothing under it. My first question when someone says "I Googled it and found this" is always the same: how many results did you get, how many were in harmony, and what contradicted it? If it shows up in a number of places, biased and unbiased, run with it. Otherwise state it as an opinion. I also share what I would like to see, liability for posting opinion as fact, and what I do when I am not 100 percent sure of something I want to share: say so. "I am seeing this. Is anyone else? Can someone point me to the source?" And when I am sure, put the sources in the comments so nobody has to take my word for it. Not a conspiracy rant and not anti Google. A rant about digging one page deeper than the first one. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/popularity-and-hype-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

An artificial intelligence statement. What I use AI for and what I do not. Feb 08, 2023

This is what I use AI for and what I do not, said out loud in February 2023, before most people were asking. It was recorded as a statement for the company I was part of at the time, and the position is still mine. The short version: I have not, do not and will not use AI to create my content, my message, my marketing or my story. I may use AI to research, to find articles and who wrote them and when. The writing, the speaking and the ideas come from me. The one place it touches this podcast is Auphonic, which evens out the audio levels and changes nothing I said, sniffles included. I share where I am pro AI: tools that take a person's real knowledge and experience and make the work easier. And where I am not: the paragraph that becomes a book, the chatbot that scrapes other people's work into "content," and the book program I saw that turns out a front to back title in under an hour for someone to claim as their own. The ask: if you work the same way, publish your own statement. Say what you use AI for and what you do not. I believe the people you want to work with will notice. One take, no script, no AI, recorded during allergy season. My current statement of use is at https://lorenweisman.com/ai-statement-of-use/ Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/artificial-intelligence-statement-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

What is a brand communications and optics strategist? Jan 02, 2023

Messaging before marketing. This episode is how I define what I do, as a brand communications and optics strategist, and it is not the only definition, but it is mine. I share why I believe the messaging foundation has to come first: the wording of your company, your product and your services, something that could stand in a court of law, because in some ways that is what the algorithms and the audience are doing with it. From that foundation the marketing, the content and the consistency grow. Without it, I see marketing companies throwing darts, rewriting the bio every month, and chasing popularity that does not convert. I share the difference between a claim and an opinion, "we have the answer" against "we believe this could be an answer for some," and why that matters in medical, legal and business messaging. I share the man with a true, tested product that went nowhere because his ego would not let him adjust a sentence, and why I told him I could not help him. Optics, as I use the word, is how what you say lands with people who have already heard a thousand others say it. So: look at the comparative and the competitive, the negative connotations, the tone and temperature of what is out there, and plant small seeds of your own authority instead of one long stream of ad. Not a sales pitch. In a way, the ask is to become your own brand communications and optics strategist, and if you hire one, make sure they are the real deal. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/messaging-and-optics-strategist/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Are most motivational and business coaches bad for you? Dec 08, 2022

My answer is yes, most of them. Not all. There are people with the experience, the education and the ability to help a business. I believe the majority selling coaching right now are not those people, and this episode is how I tell the difference. If you need someone to motivate you to follow your dream, maybe you have the wrong dream. I share the motivational package with no substance, the app that cuts a video off at the point that guarantees you pay for the rest, the certificate you receive because you paid for it, and the tool that rewrites someone else's article so it passes a plagiarism check. I ran one of my own articles through it to see. It is scary. The red flags I watch for: anyone who says they can help anyone reach six, seven or eight figures. Content that is all call to action and no information. A guy whose one success came with his father's business and a budget most people do not have, now selling reorganization to everyone. A no liability clause in the contract, which means when their advice gets you sued, it sits on you. What I look for instead: a consistent track record of authority you can find, someone who tells you why and then lets the decision stay yours, someone who holds you accountable, and someone building you toward not needing them. This is not a call to action. I do not want you to click, follow or work with me because of it. I want you to vet whoever is asking for your money. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/are-most-motivational-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Amazon best selling book claims and the 16,000 book categories Aug 30, 2022

Best robot downloader for a few minutes. That is what I believe most "Amazon bestseller" claims come down to, and this episode is how the badge gets made and what I would do instead. There are around 16,000 categories on Amazon. Some publishers and book promoters advise placing a book in one with almost no other sales, so ten or twenty copies make it number one. Others sell a window in which bots download the free book all at once, the rank spikes, a screenshot gets taken, and you are told you are a bestseller. You gave the book away. I see that as a lie, and I would rather the one person with a real bestseller not have to stand in that chorus either. I share the pre written business books you can buy and rearrange, why I call that plagiarism rather than theft, the ninety author anthology as an author credential, and my own quotes turning up in other people's strategist books because they came from a template. Then the other side: what I would do with a book, best seller or not. Talk about the chapters, the illustrations, the ideas that got cut and can become a blog or a podcast. Use your own quotes and say why you placed them. Point every review back to a verified place. Leave the one star review alone. And put the book in the category that honors the reader, not the one that games the number. If you are not prepared to share how you made your book and how you promoted it, that is the moment to reconsider. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/amazon-best-selling-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

More coaches on the sidelines than players on the field. Jun 13, 2022

Before they played on the field, before they learned, many are now claiming they can coach it all. This episode is the good, the bad and the ugly of business, life, growth and success coaching as I see it in 2022, and it ends with a message to the coaches who are the real thing. I share why I prefer a strategist to a coach, front to back, a plan you can see. The client who sent me a twelve month contract asking how to get out of it, and could not. The Facebook ads that say you need no experience to lead people to success. The certification that arrives because you paid for it. And the two coaches I overheard at a Starbucks in Winter Garden, Florida, one teaching the other how to write a book to attract clients, using models where ninety percent of the book is already written. What I would check before signing: where the certification came from and whether it was graded, whether the coach shares any authority of their own online or only other people's quotes and books, whether the testimonials are people you can talk to, whether the contract lets both sides leave honorably, and whether there is a statement of work and a clear invoice. Secretary of State and background check sites are there for a reason. To the authentic coaches: make no claims. "I feel," "you may experience" and "I like to do this because" carry further than promises you cannot guarantee. Point reviews back to real people. Share your own knowledge often enough that nobody has to sign up to see whether you have any. Let people talk to you a few times before any long commitment. Profit at the expense of no one. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/more-players-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Sharing opinions instead of trying to state facts may help. Nov 05, 2021

"I think, and here is why" opens a conversation. "You are doing it wrong" closes one. This episode is my case for sharing opinions instead of forcing them into facts, for engagement, for how people receive you, and for the algorithms and compliance that now read every word you post. I share why I do not believe you have to podcast daily or post twenty times a day, and why what one famous podcaster built is not a model for someone starting with nothing. I share the CBD industry as I saw it, where "CBD fixes arthritis and depression" claims held back an entire category that could have said "it worked for these people, would you like to see if it lines up for you." And the local magazine that reads like coverage and is an advertising book. I also share the things I am tired of: "best" as a claim in music, food or anything subjective; the pay to be nominated awards followed by "so humbled and honored"; the LinkedIn commentpreneuring schedule and the work anniversary note from someone I have never spoken to; and "I can take any business to a million dollars," which I believe tells you what their ethics are. The practical side: every claim can be refuted by another opinion, so "if you are looking for this, you may like this" holds up where "we are the best" gets penalized and sued. Before you post, think about how many people have heard the same line, how many heard the opposite, and how it reads to the three audiences: people who know you, people who have heard of you, and people who have not. Trust is earned, not chased. If you think this podcast is not for you, that is your opinion and I have no right to change it. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/sharing-opinions-instead/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Amplified authentic opinions and intelligence to consider. Jan 11, 2021

Opinions can be bought, and we have lost the sense of that when we listen. Recorded in January 2021, this is my case for what I call amplified authentic opinions: data built from people asked once and respected for their answer, instead of popularity that was purchased. I share why I do not see social media as toxic, only some of the people on it, and why turning the dial used to be the answer. I share the awards you can vote for a hundred times, the nominations you can buy, the "best of" that is only a count, and the Amazon bestseller that was a giveaway to robots for a minute. From my music years: hit songs made in the studio with the marketing plan already written, focus groups I watched get skewed by who was placed in the room, and likes, comments and streams bought all the way up to the top tier. From the AI side: the store that logs you as interested in a product because you knelt to tie your kid's shoe, and the six weeks of flights that will never happen again but now define you in someone's data. Artificial, not authentic. What I would rather see: the review that was not traded for a five dollar credit, the influencer who will not touch a product they do not stand behind, companies that ask what people think and share the answers as they came, and awards and claims moved below the fold so the product leads. I am tired of know, like and trust. I do not need to like the person selling me something. I need to know what it is and what people who used it think. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/amplified-authentic-opinions/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Shop local shaming and small business messaging missteps. Nov 26, 2020

"If you don't shop here, you don't care about your community." I saw that on a sign in Orlando in late 2020, and I will never shop there. Recorded on headphones after a microphone failure, this episode is why I believe shaming is a messaging misstep for small businesses, and what I would say instead. I am for local business. I am against ordering people into it. I share the families that lost income that year, buying gifts on Amazon and gas at Walmart because that is where the budget went, and why guilting them for it is not fair and does not convert. Then the flip. A toy store on the west coast that stopped attacking Amazon and started offering free teddy bear repair through the seamstress next door. The burger place in Winter Park that asked if I liked the Chili's avocado burger and told me what they did differently, without a word against Chili's. The new bookstore with a children's area I only found by walking in, because online it was "support local" and nothing else. Invite by explaining who you are, what you carry, who on your staff knows the product, and what you can do after the sale that a warehouse cannot. Even say where a customer might save money elsewhere. That sounds counterintuitive to yell, tell and sell, and it is the store I would go back to. Shop local is not the problem. The tone under it is. Give people a reason and let the decision stay theirs. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/shop-local-shaming-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Brand messaging mission statement and message methodology Nov 11, 2020

The things we say and do not think about the future of messaging in business. That is the title I would give my brand messaging mission statement, a flip on Jerry Maguire, and this episode is the whole thing: where I come from, what I believe, how I work, and who I will not work with. I share the short version of the road here: drummer, session player, producer, television, an infomercial, reality and talent shows, and what the culmination of hundreds of egos, budgets and personalities taught me about communication. I share the producer who hired me before I thought I was ready and why I loved his candor. And I share why I do not lead with album counts or book sales, because to me that is ego, and ego is usually fear. The methodology: messaging before marketing. Marketing builds the second, third and fourth floors while the foundation is unfinished, because that is where the money is. I would rather discover, audit and author the story first, then work on the delivery so it reads as your melody and not in unison with the ten people who said the same thing before you. The lines I will not cross: marketing you would not describe to the people you are marketing to; "you have to be scared of your dream" as advice; know, like and trust as a script; ten times anything; bestseller badges bought from robots; and "humbled to reach five thousand followers," which I believe insults follower number five. I close with how I try to message: in love, honor, humility, clarity, justice, patience and forgiveness. It is more than words to me. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/brand-messaging-mission-statement/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Strategic patience and pressure when preparing a launch Nov 01, 2020

You get one first launch. After that, investors and press read every push as a second one and wonder what went wrong. Recorded two days before the November 2020 election, this episode is what I look at between the brand discovery and the launch date: the team, the time, the temperature, the tactics and the taste. I share the song that was held for a year, repackaged, and released at the right moment with the right people, and why the artist himself says it was the timing and not the song. I share why I believe most full scale launches in that November were better moved to February, given the election, the holidays and whatever the news cycle would hold. And I share the businesses that used that stretch to go back to the blueprint and author a truckload of content instead of posting in fear. I also share what I see investors doing now: not reading a 278 page five year projection, but looking back seven or eight months at how you carried yourself when things were hard. If you held your integrity in fear and struggle, they believe you will hold it in success. On success stories: I love them. My problem is when someone's true story is sold as the objective path for everyone, with the budget, the timing and the circumstances left out. Vet the model against your own metrics before you follow it. Sometimes you will have to be more patient than you want. Sometimes a window opens and you move a deadline up. Get the intelligence together and make the decision for you, not for someone else's launch pad. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/strategic-patience-podcast/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Do not vote if you do not want to vote. Voting is a right. Oct 14, 2020

Not clickbait. Recorded about twenty days before the 2020 election, this short episode is about the messaging around voting, not about any candidate or party, and the view is mine: voting is a right, not a responsibility, and the shaming built around it closes more doors than it opens. I share the posts I woke up to that morning: "absolutely unacceptable if you don't vote," "if you're not voting I don't want to know you," "how hard is it to register, you idiots." I share the definition of a right, why I would love everyone to register early and vet their candidates from local to presidential, and why that is my opinion and not my place to force on anyone. I also share three neighbors I spoke with while preparing this. All three were not voting, all three were afraid to say so, and when I asked why in curiosity instead of attack, they told me. I disagreed with some of it. It was still their right. The messaging point ties to every business: stop telling people what they must do and what they are blind for not seeing. Ask, share why you believe what you believe, and thank them for listening even when the answer is no. Maybe the seed lands in a later election. Maybe it lands in a later sale. Either way, it lands in better soil than a shout. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/do-not-vote-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Mary Poppins Messaging and Practically Perfect Perceptions Oct 11, 2020

Practically perfect in every way. Not perfect. After watching Mary Poppins with my daughter for the first time since I was a kid, that line became this episode: perfect messaging is impossible, it is a good thing that it is impossible, and the people selling you the secret to a perfect message are selling the one thing nobody has. I share why a message honed to be understood by everyone connects with no one, and why constantly shifting it to reach everyone upsets the people who got it first. The work instead is discovery: find the message that is you, then look at the competitive, the comparative, the connotations and the compliance to see where your intention and other people's perception meet. Light adjustments to the wording. Never to the intention. I share the online course company that sounded like every snake oil pitch out there and could not see it, because the room had agreed with itself. The company with fifty thousand dollars a year using the same words as one with fifty million, and why the bigger check is the one that gets seen. The podcasters trying to be Joe Rogan without his homework, his fame or his audience. And the celebrities explaining how Twitter works from a starting point nobody else has. Marketing is not a marathon. It is part of your communication, and it has to tie back to you even if someone else runs it. The children in the film felt neglected until the father heard them. What part of your audience are you neglecting because it should be obvious to them? Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/mary-poppins-messaging/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Authentic messaging introductions and impression perceptions Oct 04, 2020

"Let's set up a one on one so I can see who to refer you to." Why? Over two weeks in the fall of 2020 I sat in the back of a run of networking groups, in person and on Zoom, to hear how people introduce themselves as things reopened. This episode is what I heard, the few who shone, and what I would do with a two minute pitch. I share the man who had clearly taken hits that year and spent his time asking others questions instead of steering back to his sale. The woman running a room who was there to find people she could stand behind, not just to be heard. And the emails that followed one big meeting: the finance guy, the insurance guy who still wanted the call after I told him I was not changing anything, and the scheduler links with no reason attached. My position on referrals: wrap your reputation around anyone you refer, which means vetting them first, and block the people who refer everyone and take responsibility for no one. Take half the time you would spend on meetings and spend it looking people up instead. Then the practical part. Have one page where a busy person can get a fast peek at you, short bio, a few quotes, a short video, before anyone asks for thirty minutes. Bring a different piece of usable information to every meeting instead of the same pitch. And when a call is not connecting, say so kindly and end it. You can decline to refer someone and still be nice. Invite the conversation with why. "I heard you say this, would you like to continue it?" beats a scheduler link every time. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/authentic-messaging-introductions/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Podcast guest soliciting and podcast host booking tactics Sep 24, 2020

A podcast about podcasts. With around a million shows out there as of September 2020, this episode is both sides of the booking email: what I delete as a host, what I would send as a guest, and why I do not pay to be on anyone's show. As a host, the template pitch sent to fifty thousand people gets deleted. "I'd be a great guest for your show" with no reason why gets a reply asking which episode they heard. And "we have a reach of forty million on iHeart" tells me nothing about who is listening. I would rather hear "this is my fifth episode and I am building an audience." I respond to that. As a guest, I share the cold pitch that worked: I listened to a specific episode, named what the guest said, said what I could add to the topic, and the call came the next day. I also share why I do not go on every show, why I do not share every appearance, and the music show host I turned down because I disagreed with everything he stood for and told him so. On paying: the host who had a great half hour with me and then explained her fee, the virtual room that sells the expert seats, and why I believe pay to play on podcasts is the same problem I saw in music. Would you tell your clients you paid for the positioning? Then the tactics I would use instead: ask a guest what they are tired of talking about and what they have never been asked. Lead with who you are and what the show is about, not the download count. Have a page with short samples so a busy host can get a sense of you in minutes. And separate what you know from what you believe, so the conversation is a conversation and not an argument. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/podcast-guest-solicitation/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Coaching with accountability and finding honorable coaches Sep 22, 2020

Some coaching courses teach how to blame the client for what did not work, so the coach carries no liability. I believe that is immoral, and this episode is the paperwork and the questions I would put in front of any coach, consultant or strategist before paying, including me. I share the 2020 wave of "I lost my job, so I got certified and now I coach," and why one success does not make someone a teacher. I share the platform advice to stand in front of a nice car even if it is not yours and fill the feed with other people's quotes. And the three page "consulting agreement" a client sent me that protected only the coach. What I ask for and what I offer: a non disclosure agreement if anything proprietary is on the table. A services agreement that says what each side is responsible for and how either side leaves, with the refund or credit terms in writing. A statement of work, even a conceptual one, that lists the topics covered so both sides can see the service was delivered. A clear invoice and a receipt. And one, two or three paid sessions first, so you get a sense of the person before any package. I also share why I do not want a coach's top testimonials. I want their authority in their own words, in videos, audio and writing, so I can decide whether their path relates to mine financially and in method. "Who else like us have you worked with?" deserves a true answer, and sometimes that answer is nobody. Coaches will never be held accountable like doctors and lawyers. So the accountability has to come from the person hiring them. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/coaching-with-accountability/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Messaging before marketing to create a sound foundation. Sep 10, 2020

It may be time to put the brakes on your marketing. Not forever. Long enough to check whether the messaging under it exists. This episode is the problem I see in a high percentage of marketing engagements, and the checklist I would run before spending another dollar on ads, PR or a publicist. I share the four A's. Are you being marketed in authenticity and authority, or in assumptions and arrogance? Could you say "we are the best" in front of ten comparable businesses? I share why many agencies skip the messaging work: it costs them time, and the money is in automating the campaign. So you get a tagline that twenty other companies have and a pitch the whole room loved without anyone checking its connotations. The discovery I would do first: the pros, the cons and the mistakes you are not hiding. The past, the present and the plan. The operational side that most people do not call messaging: your non disclosure and confidentiality agreements, your compliance, your security, because investors and partners read those as your message too. And why I do not care about your core values. Tell me why you started the business, in a short video anyone can find. I also share why there is no best time to post, why Kia's radio results mean nothing to a local print shop, and why I test a campaign in one market for a week before pushing it everywhere. The output is what I call a personalized integrity intelligence performance guide, a messaging palette that gives a marketer fuel instead of darts. Marketing still takes time and money. With the foundation in place, I believe it takes less of both. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/02/15/messaging-before-marketing/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Reviewing authentically over demanding them for popularity. Sep 06, 2020

Stop asking for reviews and start writing them. This episode is a different use for TripAdvisor, Google and Yelp: not to beg for five stars, but to build your own authority by reviewing other people's croissants, hotels, contractors and podcasts, subjectively and in your own voice. I share why "please review me" before someone has experienced you can read as disrespect, and why the five stars for everything reviewer says nothing. I share the podcast guru who gave me five stars, quoted my own bio back to me, and asked for one in return. I do not believe he listened. Then the play. A photo of two croissants at a cafe in Greenville, South Carolina, posted to Google reviews instead of only my own Instagram, seen about four thousand times. A photo of a barbecue place's storefront that nobody else had taken, seen around four hundred thousand times. My 2014 book tour, reviewed city by city, hotel, coffee and venue, so the trail tells a story anyone can follow. And the St. Louis hotel where everyone reviewed the ceiling light show, so I wrote about the koi pond out back. For real estate agents especially: instead of telling people you know the area, show it. Review the park, the restaurant, the contractor, the service. Let people learn you before you ask them to trust you. Stay subjective. Say what the bread was like, not that it was the best. Say what you did not like too. And if the experience was bad enough that you would not defend the review, take it to the business first instead of the internet. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/02/14/reviewing-authentically/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Success books explored for validity, authority and truth Aug 31, 2020

"I've read 300 books on success." That was the lead from a speaker at a conference I was on, and he was not successful, so none of them worked. This episode is how I read a success book, from someone who wrote one with the word success in the title and meant it as a guide, not a promise. I share the white label success book: a licensed template, ninety percent written, where you add a few stories and your name. Not theft, because the text is licensed, but plagiarism by definition. Watch for the same quotes from the same people across thousands of titles. I share why even a true success story can mislead: the author may not know the investor, the team or the timing that made it work, and I have been under confidentiality agreements on projects the public story never mentions. There is no common metric. Every "this is how you write a hit song" formula has as many contradictions as examples. What I look for: is it stewarding or a sales pitch with a call to action at the end of every chapter? Was anything stated as fact technically edited, the way Wiley did with my third book? Is the truth in it current, or a 1930s idea reprinted in 2020? And is the bestseller badge on the cover the 350 dollar robot download I have talked about before? Take the pieces that make you think "I need to look into that." Research those hardest. Do not follow any of these to the letter. The letter was written in someone else's circumstances. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/success-books-explored/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

Music Business ghost drumming. Being a ghost in the machine. Jun 26, 2020

I cannot take credit for close to eighty percent of the recordings I played on. That was the deal. This episode is what ghost drumming was, how it worked, why I signed away my name starting in 1993, and what it taught me about messaging, credit and vetting. I share the first session, when a producer named Earl told me I would never be a rock star with my look but I could be on the albums, and why staying quiet, showing up on time and knowing what to play for the song, not for my chops, got me the work. I share the drummer in a 90s band who could not play his own parts, the session player who cut them and then taught him, and the humility it took on both sides. I also share the toxic thread that started this, the accusation that ghosts were destroying bands, and my answer: check your contract. If the label is paying for a record at a certain level, replacing a part is not a betrayal, it is the deal you signed. The messaging side: someone can build your brand in a voice that has nothing to do with you, the way a session player can play a part the band can never perform live. Get the people who can find your song. And the credit side: I got credit in the circles that gave me work, not from the masses, and the people screaming their accolades from the mountaintop often turn out to be the biggest liabilities. Last, the vetting. I have read books describing sessions I sat in that never happened as written. Before you copy anyone's story, look a little deeper. It may be the story they wanted told. Written transcription, chapters and links: https://lorenweisman.com/2025/01/01/ghost-drummer-transcription/
Wait What Really OK is hosted by brand communications and optics strategist Loren Weisman.
Episode pages with written transcriptions: https://lorenweisman.com/wait-what-really-ok/
About Loren: https://lorenweisman.com/about-loren-weisman/
Speaking: https://lorenweisman.com/speaking/
Services: https://lorenweisman.com/services/
Be a guest: https://lorenweisman.com/podcast-guest-info/
Contact: speaking@lorenweisman.com
Opening theme by RKVC. Closing theme by Doug Hinrichs. Both licensed.
© 2011 to 2026 Loren Weisman. All rights reserved.

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