The Jeff Bullas Show

Gloria Chou is an award-winning PR strategist and host of the top-rated Small Business PR Podcast. Known for her untraditional yet proven approach to PR which makes visibility and access to media accessible for anyone, Gloria helps BIPOC and female founders get featured organically in top-tier media without needing PR connections or a large following. Her strategies have earned small businesses in nearly every industry niche over a billion organic views and features in outlets like the New York Times, Oprah’s Favorite Things, Vogue, and Forbes, without any pay-to-play. A former U.S. Diplomat turned small business advocate, Gloria has been on 100 podcasts and was named "Pitch Writing Expert of the Year" in 2021 as part of the Influential Businesswomen Awards, and a Forbes Next 1000 honoree. Here's what you will learn You don’t need PR connections or a big following to get featured in top media — you can learn to pitch yourself effectively using Gloria’s CPR method. AI tools like Perplexity and Google Alerts can help you quickly find the right journalists and trending topics to pitch. Journalists don’t want a sales pitch — they want timely, relevant stories backed by insights, trends, or data. Earned media from credible outlets builds long-term SEO and authority — way more powerful than churning out AI-generated blog content. Taking PR in-house is affordable, effective, and puts you in control of your story — no expensive agencies or gatekeepers needed.

John Worthington, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Sircles, has cracked the code on equity crowdfunding, raising over $6.8M without giving up control to VCs. His unique “Riding the Escalator” strategy turns investors into users, advocates, and key drivers of organic growth—creating a self-sustaining cycle that has positioned Sircles (His latest venture) as one of the most successful crowdfunded startups in tech. Sircles is disrupting the traditional review space by replacing ratings and anonymous feedback with trusted recommendations from real connections. By leveraging a novel crowdfunding model—what he calls “Riding the Escalator”—he has built a self-sustaining cycle where investors become users, advocates, and key drivers of organic growth. This strategy has raised over $6.8 million, positioning Sircles as one of the most successful crowdfunded startups in the tech sector. What you will learn How to turn everyday users into loyal investors who also drive organic growth. A step-by-step approach to raising funding through equity crowdfunding, even without VC backing. How to build a startup community by partnering with niche influencers who actually convert. Why Sircles’ “no negativity” design could be a game-changer in the trust economy—and what you can learn from it. How AI is quietly powering product development and user support behind the scenes of emerging tech startups.

Gabe Lullo is the CEO of Alleyoop, a sales development agency working with industry giants such as ZoomInfo, Salesloft, and Adobe. He has trained over 8,000 salespeople across diverse businesses and, during his tenure at Alleyoop, he has personally hired and managed more than 1,500 SDRs. With over two decades of experience in sales, marketing, and executive recruitment, his strategies have significantly driven Alleyoop’s growth and shaped its corporate culture. Beyond his career accomplishments, Gabe graduated from the Barney School of Business at the University of Hartford and his leadership ethos is rooted in cultivating environments that prioritize both professional development and individual success. What you will learn Why great salespeople don’t always sound like salespeople—and how authenticity wins. How AI tools are being used in sales for real-time call scoring, objection handling, and personalized prospect research. Why content + cold calls is the winning combo in modern sales (and why email is losing power). How LinkedIn content builds social proof—and what not to do when connecting with potential clients. How Gabe built a successful sales agency by spotting a gap in lead generation and training SDRs with AI-powered support.

Kevin Surace is a Silicon Valley innovator, serial entrepreneur, CEO, TV personality and EDUTAINER. Kevin has been featured by Businessweek, Time, Fortune, Forbes, CNN, ABC, MSNBC, FOX News, and has keynoted hundreds of events, from INC5000 to TED to the US Congress. He was INC Magazines’ Entrepreneur of the Year, a CNBC top Innovator of the Decade, World Economic Forum Tech Pioneer, Chair of Silicon Valley Forum, Planet Forward Innovator of the Year nominee, featured for 5 years on TechTV’s Silicon Spin, and inducted into RIT’s Innovation Hall of Fame. While he has a technical background with 93 worldwide patents, he is known as a highly dynamic speaker who is a true entertainer. He has led pioneering work on the first cellular data smartphone (AirCommunicator), the first plastic multichip semiconductor packages, the first human-like AI virtual assistant (Portico), soundproof drywall, high R-value windows, AI-driven building management technology, Generative AI for QA, supply-chain multivariate auctions, and the window/energy retrofits of the Empire State Building and NY Stock Exchange. What you will learn Here are the top five things your audience will learn from this podcast episode, written in short, easy-to-understand sentences with a curiosity-driven tone: How Kevin Surace helped invent the first human-like AI virtual assistant—and how that work led to Siri and Alexa. Why digital twins are about to become your always-on productivity partners (and yes, they can attend Zoom calls for you). How AI is already replacing entire jobs in software testing—and what roles are truly safe from automation. Why AI is shaking up creative industries like music, writing, and filmmaking—and how you can still stand out. What the future of work looks like when humanoid robots, voice clones, and AI editors become part of daily life.

Over the past three decades, Matthew Stafford has successfully built several businesses across various industries, including Concrete, Brick and Mortar Locations, POD, and Software-based ventures. Matthew, the Managing Partner of Build Grow Scale and an equity owner of some in-house eCommerce brands, has mentored thousands of store owners through paid eCommerce groups and live events. His experience has also allowed him to help hundreds of ecommerce brands scale past the million-dollar mark - with many hitting the $10 million mark. To top it off, he's been speaking on stages about eCommerce optimization for the past seven years! Before COVID-19, BGS hosted the largest yearly eCommerce-focused event in North America - BGS LIVE. What you will learn How optimizing your eCommerce site can double your revenue without increasing traffic. Why asking customers what almost stopped them from buying can unlock major sales growth. How simple changes to checkout forms can reduce abandoned carts and boost conversions. Why AI is reshaping traffic strategies and what it means for your eCommerce business. How top eCommerce brands use customer experience to drive repeat sales and long-term success.

Marcelo Calbucci is an entrepreneur, innovator, technologist, and author. He’s been building software products for over thirty years, having sold his first software at age fourteen. He has worked at Microsoft (Exchange Server & Bing) and Amazon (People eXperience & Technology), leading software engineering, product, data science, and UX. He has just released a book titled "The PRFAQ Framework." The book adapts Amazon Working Backwards' PRFAQ Framework to work for you. It's a complete system to develop the spark of an idea that helps you think, articulate, and inspire. He has founded six startups in Seattle and London and launched a dozen tech projects. He’s the inventor of eleven patents. Marcelo has been a community builder in Seattle, organizing dozens of meetups, events, and conferences. He has written over one thousand blog posts and articles on his web-site and other tech publications. Outside of tech and startups, Marcelo loves to cook elaborate meals for friends, run marathons (eight and counting), and travel with his wife and kids. What you will learn Learn how the PRFAQ framework helps create a clear vision and strategy for any product or business idea, fostering collaboration across teams. Discover how AI tools like ChatGPT can be used to assist in research and brainstorming, but why human critical thinking remains essential for innovation. Understand how Marcelo's adapted PRFAQ framework is more flexible and iterative, making it suitable for smaller businesses and startups. Hear how startups can use the PRFAQ framework to evaluate and decide on new business opportunities, even before launching. Gain insights into how the PRFAQ process can help refine ideas, solve real-world problems, and guide businesses through successful pivots when necessary.

Jared Kugel, CEO of Tire Agent, is a serial entrepreneur who is revolutionizing the way consumers buy tires online. This B2C entrepreneur is bringing an industry online that would traditionally only buy in stores. Since 2020, he’s sold an astounding 2 million tires in the United States and is set to grow exponentially over the next five years. His company, Tire Agent, made the Inc. 5000 list for two years in a row. His first investor was Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator (ERA NYC). Jared is no stranger to raising capital in the startup world, having raised over $10 million in venture capital. Jared has been featured in publications like the New York Post and TechCrunch and has been a guest on podcasts like Gain Traction, What’s Treading, and Cars Yeah. What you will learn Learn how Jared’s personal experiences, from starting a business at 14 to working with his tough dad, shaped his entrepreneurial mindset and taught him the value of resilience and self-reliance. Discover how Jared identified the gaps in the tire industry and built Tire Agent by offering an online platform with exceptional customer service, education, and multiple payment options to stand out in a traditionally offline market. Understand the challenges Jared faced in securing venture capital, how he found the right investors, and why aligning with people who share your vision is crucial for business growth. Find out how Jared uses AI tools like Zendesk to streamline operations, improve customer service quality, and increase efficiency without compromising the personal touch that customers value. Gain insights into how refining marketing strategies, focusing on customer education, and leveraging repeat business helped Jared scale Tire Agent from $3 million to $75 million in just three years.

Jared Rosenthal is a trailblazing entrepreneur and former healthcare CEO who redefined success by embracing unconventional ideas. After a decade in nonprofit healthcare and serving as CEO of Amerigroup Illinois, where he managed over 400 employees, Jared took a bold leap in 2007, leaving the corporate world to launch his own venture. With no outside funding, he created Health Street, starting with the now-famous "Who's Your Daddy" mobile DNA testing truck, which captured national attention and inspired the VH1 reality show Swab Stories. He transformed his initial venture into a thriving technology platform, serving over 50,000 companies. What you will learn Discover how leaving a CEO position to start a business with a mobile DNA testing truck led to greater success and innovation. Learn how breaking corporate norms and embracing unconventional leadership strategies helped build successful, value-driven teams. Explore how to build a modern tech stack for small business success and compete effectively without large enterprise budgets. Understand when to leave the corporate world for a startup, and how taking calculated risks can lead to entrepreneurial success. Find out how guerrilla marketing strategies, like Jared’s viral "Who's Your Daddy" truck, can drive growth and capture national attention.

Eitan Koter is the founder and CEO of Vimmi (a video commerce SaaS platform that helps brands and retailers create shoppable video experiences across social media, marketplaces and websites) with over two decades experience in media & entertainment, eCommerce and telecom industries in startups and public companies, including NASDAQ IPO. Expertise includes B2B SaaS and hardware companies, go-to-market strategies, global marketing & sales, product market fit, strategy development, and general management. What you will learn The evolution of video from analog to digital and its growing importance in driving conversions for brands. How video commerce, especially through short-form videos and live shopping, is reshaping e-commerce by enabling direct purchases from videos. Why social commerce is thriving in China and how Western countries are catching up with platforms like TikTok and Instagram. The increasing role of AI in video marketing, including AI-generated content, video avatars, and enhancing conversion rates through analytics. How businesses can leverage shoppable videos, even for high-ticket items, and integrate them with social platforms to improve sales without heavy ad spend.

After spending time at some of the most complex organizations and companies in the world (White House, Apple, Lyft) Adam realized he was spending more time coordinating work than actually doing it. Taking inspiration from how developers worked in GitHub and designers worked in Figma, he founded Almanac to build a tool to help teams collaborate in documents with structure and transparency. In 2023, Adam launched his second product, Blaze, the #1 marketing AI tool for teams of one to create better content in half the time. Blaze is an innovative AI marketing tool, offers unique perspectives on how AI reshapes the business world, especially benefiting small enterprises. Adam holds systems engineering and economics degrees from Duke University and an MBA with highest honors from Harvard Business School. What you will learn How AI is making entrepreneurship easier by automating marketing tasks, so business owners don’t need advanced skills. How small businesses can compete with big companies by using AI to automate content creation, SEO, and ads. How AI reduces time spent on repetitive work, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on growing their businesses. How AI tools create content that matches a brand’s unique voice, making marketing more authentic and engaging. How AI helps entrepreneurs work smarter by improving decision-making, increasing reach, and scaling faster.