Liftoff with Keith Newman: For Founders looking for a new growth playbook and further inspiration.

In this episode, Keith sat down with Jimi Gibson, Vice President of Brand Communication at Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, to unpack how visibility is changing in an AI-driven world.
Before working with CEOs and founders, Jimi spent years as a professional magician—learning how to capture attention, build curiosity, and create unforgettable moments. Today, he applies those same principles to help businesses stay visible in a world where AI is answering questions before users ever click.
We explore:
Why founder authority is becoming more powerful than traditional SEO
How zero-click searches are reshaping demand generation
The real reason many businesses are “disappearing” online
What AI actually looks for when deciding who to trust
A simple, practical framework to create content that stands out As search evolves from clicks to answers, visibility is no longer about ranking #1—it’s about being the voice AI trusts and surfaces.If you’re a founder, marketer, or business leader trying to stay relevant in 2026, this conversation will give you a completely new lens on content, brand, and growth.Connect with Jimi Gibson:
Website: https://thriveagency.com/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jimi-gibson
Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/
Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]#AIMarketing #SEO #ContentStrategy #FounderBrand #DigitalMarketing #B2BMarketing #PersonalBranding #GrowthMarketing #MarketingStrategy

In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, we sit down with Anthony Blatner, Founder of Speedwork Social and a leading expert in LinkedIn B2B growth.
Anthony shares a practical crawl-walk-run framework for companies looking to turn LinkedIn into a scalable demand generation channel. From founder-led content and employee advocacy to high-performing Thought Leader Ads, he explains how modern B2B companies are building pipeline without relying on expensive or ineffective campaigns.
We also discuss why case-study driven content outperforms promotional messaging, how teams can activate their networks, and how startups can scale LinkedIn marketing without chasing trends.
If you're a startup founder, marketing leader, or B2B growth team, this episode breaks down how to turn LinkedIn into a predictable revenue engine.
Connect with Anthony Blatner:
Website: https://speedworksocial.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonyblatner
Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/ Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/
Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]#B2BMarketing #LinkedInMarketing #DemandGeneration #StartupGrowth #SaaSMarketing #GrowthMarketing #FounderLedMarketing #DigitalMarketing #B2BStrategy #MarketingLeadership

In this special Liftoff Unicorn Conversation, Keith sits down with Henry Schuck, Founder & CEO of ZoomInfo, to explore the journey of building one of the most influential B2B data platforms in the world.
Henry shares the story behind founding ZoomInfo in 2007, scaling through multiple growth stages, navigating the company’s IPO during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how ZoomInfo is now adapting to the AI era.
This conversation dives into lessons for founders, entrepreneurs, and startup leaders on scaling a company, building a category-defining product, and staying ahead as technology continues to evolve.
If you want insight into how a company grows from startup to public SaaS leader, this episode delivers the playbook.
Connect with Henry Schuck:
Website: https://www.zoominfo.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hschuck
Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs.
Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/
Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications!
Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/
Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
#HenrySchuck #ZoomInfo #StartupJourney #SaaSLeadership #Entrepreneurship #FounderStories #AIinBusiness #StartupGrowth #TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy

AI is rewriting the rules of SaaS — but not everyone is building it the right way.
In this episode of Liftoff, Sreedhar Peddineni, CEO & Co-Founder of GTM Buddy, shares lessons from:
Scaling through the dot-com crash
Co-founding Gainsight and pioneering customer success-
Now building an AI-native revenue activation platform
We explore:
Why sales teams don’t have a content problem — they have a context problem
How AI is collapsing product development costs toward zero- The rise (and risk) of AI wrapper products
Why adoption is still the ultimate truth metric
How to avoid getting distracted by big enterprise “carrot” deals
Why founders must build with AI — not just read about it-
What real “agentic AI” might actually look like by 2026
Sreedhar breaks down what practical AI really means
:Not chatbots. Not hype.
But delivering the right insight — inside the workflow — at the moment of need.
A masterclass in disciplined product thinking in the middle of the AI noise cycle.
Connect with Sreedhar Peddineni:
Website: https://gtmbuddy.ai/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sreedharpeddineni
Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs. Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/
Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications!
Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one. -
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/
Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith -
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
#GTM #RevenueActivation #AIApplications #SalesTech #SaaSFounders #ProductLeadership #AgenticAI #StartupLessons #EnterpriseAI #FounderJourney

What if the biggest innovation opportunity today isn’t in tech — but in education?
In this episode of Liftoff with Keith, Keith sat down with Houlie Duque, Founder & CEO of HomeschoolToGo, to explore how personalized, project-based learning is reshaping the future of education.With over a decade of experience in Montessori and Cambridge systems, Houlie shares why traditional schooling — designed during the industrial revolution — may no longer prepare children for an AI-driven world.
We dive into:
Why curiosity, creativity, and adaptability matter more than grades
The myth of “socialization” in traditional schools
How homeschooling can require less time — but deliver better outcomes
Why project-based learning builds real-world problem solvers
How AI will eliminate repeatable jobs — and what skills children truly need
How families can homeschool without sacrificing career or income
If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or parent wondering how to prepare the next generation for a rapidly changing world — this episode will challenge your assumptions.
FREE Masterclass: How to Offer High Quality Education in Under 10 Hours per Weekhttps://courses.homeschooltogo.org/freemasterclass-registrationConnect with Houlie Duque:
Website: https://www.homeschooltogo.org/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/houlie-duque-3a4bb1169/
Sponsor Info: We are strategic business advisors with decades of leadership experience and a proven track record of driving businesses’ growth. We specialize in creating custom-tailored strategies to introduce your company, drive growth, build leadership teams, and ensure companies implement appropriate compensation programs.
Our mission is to utilize our expansive network to benefit your company https://www.compass-strategic-advisors.com/
Subscribe for more founder insights and hit the bell for notifications! Follow us on our channels for exclusive startup content and behind-the-scenes insights from interviews like this one.
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3cFpLXfYvcUsxvsT9MwyAD?si=f5a14e779777487d
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/liftoff-with-keith-newman/id1560219589
Substack: https://keithnewman.substack.com/
Newman Media Studios: https://newmanmediastudios.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/liftoffwithkeith
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@keithnewman74
For sponsorship inquiries, please contact: [email protected]
#Homeschooling #FutureOfEducation #PersonalizedLearning #ProjectBasedLearning #Parenting #EntrepreneurParents #AIandEducation #CriticalThinking #NextGeneration #EducationReform