Turning Point: Founder Journeys from Grit to Glory
Turning Point dives into the moments that define the entrepreneurial journey. Each episode features candid conversations with founders who share the real stories behind building their businesses—from early struggles and setbacks to breakthroughs and success.
Hosted by Blaine Bertsch, the show uncovers the raw, behind-the-scenes experiences that rarely make the headlines. Guests reflect on the hard lessons, tough decisions, and pivotal moments that shaped their paths as entrepreneurs.
Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, Turning Point offers honest insight, shared struggles, and inspiration from those who’ve lived it—so you can navigate your own journey with perspective and grit.
Turning Point is Produced by Dryrun: Forecasting Software for the Office of the CFO
Learn more at https://dryrun.com
Turning Point: Founder Journeys from Grit to Glory
Stephen Sakach of AI CMO: Building Empathy, Emotion & Purpose Into Modern Marketing
In this episode of Turning Point - Founder Stories, Blaine Bertsch sits down with Stephen Sakach, founder of AI CMO and Zero Company, to explore how empathy-driven marketing and purpose-led storytelling are reshaping the way brands connect with audiences. From his early entrepreneurial roots to building an AI-powered platform that helps businesses create meaningful, emotionally resonant campaigns, Stephen shares a fascinating journey through innovation, resilience, and conscious business leadership.
The conversation dives into the evolution of digital marketing—from the wild west days of pay-per-click advertising to today’s AI-driven personalization—and how technology can actually make marketing more human. Stephen discusses his “BLISS” philosophy (Build Love Into Scalable Systems), a framework for embedding empathy, gratitude, and purpose into company culture and marketing systems. He explains how emotional connection drives higher customer loyalty and lifetime value, and why businesses that lead with authenticity and kindness are better positioned to thrive.
Blaine and Stephen also touch on entrepreneurship, the challenges of leading through economic downturns, and how self-managed teams, gratitude-based culture, and conscious capitalism are shaping the future of work. This episode is packed with lessons for entrepreneurs, marketers, and leaders who want to build brands that inspire trust, loyalty, and love.
Don’t miss an episode of Turning Point—subscribe, share, and keep learning from entrepreneurs who’ve built meaningful, resilient businesses. For more financial clarity and powerful cash flow forecasting tools to help your business grow strategically, visit Dryrun.com.
#empatheticmarketing #AItools #entrepreneurmindset #brandstrategy #businessgrowth
Listen on your favorite podcast network or at turningpoint.buzzsprout.com
Learn more about AI CMO at aicmo.io
Connect with Stephen Sakach at linkedin.com/in/stephen-sakach-3181aa28b
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/2sR9ASpcWUs
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