The Furious Curious

Today we’re talking about LINKTOK: Why LinkedIn Is the New Frontier for Creators with special guest Brendan Gahan.Brendan Gahan is the CEO & Co-Founder of Creator Authority, the first LinkedIn influencer marketing agency.A pioneer in the creator economy, Gahan has been doing influencer marketing since 2006, launching one of the first YouTube/creator partnerships.He drove innovation with early TikTok branded hashtag challenges and influencer partnerships for the Obama administration, the Olympics, and numerous Fortune 500 brands.Gahan contributed to two agency acquisitions, including the sale of Epic Signal, which he founded, to Mekanism, where he became Partner & Chief Social Officer. Mekanism was then acquired in 2022.His accolades include Forbes 30 Under 30 (Marketing & Advertising), LinkedIn’s Top 10 Voices in the Creator Economy in 2022, and Digiday’s Digital Video Agency of the Year for Epic Signal. Campaigns he led have won multiple industry awards, including One Show, Shortys, Effies, and Cannes Lions.Gahan sits on the VidCon advisory board and advises and invests in creator economy startups.In our conversation, Brendan breaks down LinkedIn’s unique advantages for creators, how they can succeed on the platform, and offers a peek into how LinkedIn’s algorithms work. We also discuss growth tactics and predictions you’ll definitely want to hear.LINKS:⁠creatorauthority.co⁠linkedin.com/in/brendangahanFOLLOW:⁠Linkedin.com/company/the-furious-curious⁠CREDITS:Hosted and produced Britton Rice, along with Alex Detmering, David Harper, Nicole Lazar, and Alexander Woell. Our original logo is by Nate Betts.©2025 The Furious Curious

27 Maj 1h 8min

Co-host Alex dives deep into the current world of advertising with H/L agency's very own Roselyn Pla, Daisy Serafini, and Dallas Baker. They discuss how the industry has evolved, the impact of data-driven decision-making, the rise of influencer marketing, and the growing influence of AI on creativity. H/L shares insights on breaking into the industry, pushing creative boundaries, and maintaining authenticity in a crowded, fast-paced digital world.ABOUT H/LH/L is an independent advertising agency committed to making a lasting impact—for its clients, its people, and the communities it serves. With a mission to meaningfully advance business, careers, and culture, H/L goes beyond great ideas to build momentum that drives real, measurable growth. Every campaign, media strategy, and market gain is part of a bigger vision: to create opportunity and lasting impact.Headquartered in some of the most culturally rich cities in the U.S. and beyond, H/L draws strength from the diverse perspectives of its team—known as H/Lers. This diversity fuels creativity and brings unexpected insights to every engagement. The agency is deeply connected to the communities where it lives and works, giving back generously and drawing inspiration from the people and places that shape it.H/L is known for cultivating long-term client relationships—often spanning decades—thanks to its values of inclusivity, adaptability, and relentless pursuit of what’s possible. At its core, H/L is an agency that’s not just based in communities—it’s made by them.LINKS:hl.agencyFOLLOW:⁠Linkedin.com/company/the-furious-curious⁠CREDITS:This episode was hosted by Alex Detmering, produced by Britton Rice, Alex Detmering and Nicole Lazar. Videography by Yavor Vesselinov. Our original logo is by Nate Betts.©2024, ©2025 The Furious Curious

13 Maj 49min

What do 314-mile foot races and viral ad campaigns have in common? In this episode of Furious Curious, Britton and Alex sit down with Andy Pearson — VP of Creative at Liquid Death — to unpack how ultra-endurance running informs high-level creative thinking, brand-building, and navigating chaos.From hallucinating gingerbread men during 100-mile races to directing absurdly brilliant ads for one of today’s most unconventional brands, Andy reflects on why pushing limits physically helps sharpen creative instincts mentally. This episode explores the meditative power of movement, the cultural rise of ultrarunning, and the importance of playing more — even in a world obsessed with metrics. It’s a lesson in how absurd ideas, when fully committed to, can change the game. LINKS:ievenwrotethissickurl.comliquiddeath.comFOLLOW:Linkedin.com/company/the-furious-curiousCREDITS:Filmed and edited by Yavor Vesselinov, with additional production by Weston Simpson and Johnny Matlack. Hosted and produced by Britton Rice, David Harper, Alex Detmering, along with Alexander Woell and Nicole Lazar. Original logo is by Nate Betts.Key Chapters with Timestamps [00:01:00] Origins of Ultramarathon Passion – Discover how a book, a hangover, and a mountain view launched Andy’s endurance journey. [00:05:00] Ultra as a Response to Creative Burnout – Running became a counterweight to the brutal ad agency grind. [00:07:00] Mental Shifts & Emotional Toughness – Why ultrarunning teaches resilience, trust, and calm amidst chaos. [00:08:00] Hallucinations & Spiritual Moments – From gingerbread men to skull-shaped rocks — endurance breaks the brain in fascinating ways. [00:10:00] The 314-Mile Vol State Race – A survival story of gas station food, shin splints, and driveways for beds. [00:14:00] Running as Moving Meditation – Running as active mindfulness, and how it fuels Andy’s creative process. [00:20:00] Why Running Isn’t Just Escape — It’s Strategy – How the mind opens up to clarity and inspiration mid-run. [00:22:00] The Cultural Rise of Ultrarunning – Tied to economic downturns, social media, and a longing for nature. [002600] Creative Crisis Management – On-set chaos mirrors ultrarunning — problem-solving, triage, and focus. [00:29:00] The Inner Standard – Why Andy always chooses the weirdest thing on the menu — and how that ethos shapes work and life. [00:33:00] Liquid Death as a Character, Not a Brand – Creative decisions come easier when you ask: “What would Liquid Death do?” [00:36:00] Dumb Ideas with Brilliant Logic – From $500 cookies to corpse-paint collabs — the genius of taking dumb ideas seriously.[00:42:00] Contagious Fun & Inviting Others In – Why joy and playfulness are Liquid Death’s ultimate community-building tools. [00:47:00] Failing Forward: The Beauty of the DNF – Success is overrated — failure teaches more. Ultramarathons and comedy agree. [00:51:00] The Barkley Marathons: Designed to Break You – Andy’s firsthand account of the most infamous, unwinnable race in the world.

6 Maj 1h 9min

Hello Furious Curious listeners. We will be back in ’25 with a slate of new epic episodes and a few suprises.  In the meantime, we will continue to surface the best of our previous episodes in our feed for you to enjoy, ya know… just in case you missed them the first time. Enjoy your Q4, we’ll see you soon. And stay curious.

5 Nov 202425s

In this episode, The Furious Curious dives into the world of altered states of consciousness and their potential to enhance creativity and problem-solving. Hosts David and Britt discuss techniques for achieving these states without substances, including Gnostic states—altered consciousness reached through singular focus. They explore methods such as holotropic breathwork, sleep deprivation, polyphasic sleep cycles, lucid dreaming, binaural beats, and hypnagogic light sessions. The hosts share personal insights and experiences, emphasizing the importance of consistency, intention, and journaling for tracking progress and gaining valuable insights. Takeaways: Altered states of consciousness can boost creativity and problem-solving. Gnostic states are achieved through singular focus. Techniques like holotropic breathwork, sleep deprivation, and polyphasic sleep cycles can induce altered states. Professional guidance is recommended for certain practices. Altered states can lead to increased self-awareness, spiritual experiences, and deeper understanding. Lucid dreaming allows individuals to become aware of and control dreams. Binaural beats and hypnagogic light sessions use specific frequencies to induce relaxation or altered states. Consistency, intention, and journaling are crucial for exploring altered states effectively. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Unlocking the Power of Altered Consciousness 01:34 Exploring Gnostic States: Achieving Singular Focus 04:08 Understanding Altered States of Consciousness 05:28 Techniques for Inducing Altered States 08:05 Holotropic Breathwork: Breathing to Bypass Ordinary Consciousness 13:01 Sleep Deprivation: Pushing the Limits of Wakefulness 26:45 Polyphasic Sleep Cycles 28:14 Lucid Dreaming 29:52 Reality Checks for Lucid Dreaming 37:31 Binaural Beats 45:07 Hypnagogic Light Sessions Sources: Gnosis (Chaos Magic) Altered State of Consciousness Breathwork (New Age) Holotropic Breathwork Research Altered States Without Drugs Lucia Light Experience Ness Labs: Altered States Sleep Deprivation and Hallucinations Polyphasic Sleep The Science of Hypnagogia Holotropic Breathwork Lucid Dreaming Techniques Sleep Cycles Explained Books: Llewellyn’s Complete Book of Lucid Dreaming - Clare R. Johnson, PhD Holotropic Breathwork - Stanislov & Christina Graf Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction (2nd Edition) - Susan Blackmore Follow Us: LinkedIn: The Furious Curious Credits: Hosted and produced by Britton Rice, along with David Harper, Alexander Woell, Chase Domergue, Alex Detmering, and Nicole Lazar. Our original logo was designed by Nate Betts. Music: “All Comes Crashing” by Metric --- ©2024 The Furious Curious

10 Sep 202451min

Summary In this episode, The Furious Curious delves into the world of online gurus, discussing how to avoid becoming a “fluffluencer.” They explore the reasons behind the rise of online gurus, including the demand for simple answers in a complex world and the accessibility of social media. An online guru is defined as an internet personality who offers simple or secret solutions to complex problems. The hosts highlight red flags to watch out for, such as overblown promises, lack of credentials, high-pressure sales tactics, cult-like behavior, lack of transparency, promoting dependency, and an excessive focus on the guru. They also identify green flags, including realistic expectations, credentials and experience, empowerment, ethical conduct, and a focus on personal development. The episode covers topics like discernment, sharing ideas online without becoming a full influencer, the importance of personal experience, understanding concepts versus real-world application, the dangers of creating bad guys and in-groups/out-groups, using flash for credibility, and using vulnerability at manipulation. The hosts emphasize the importance of self-awareness, humility, and genuine intentions in content creation. Takeaways The rise of online gurus is fueled by the desire for simple answers in a complex world and the accessibility of social media. Red flags to watch out for include overblown promises, lack of credentials, high-pressure sales tactics, cult-like behavior, lack of transparency, promoting dependency, and an excessive focus on the guru. Green flags include realistic expectations, credentials and experience, empowerment, ethical conduct, and a focus on personal development. Content creators should add value to the world without resorting to manipulative or deceptive tactics. The education system often fails to provide practical knowledge, leading to a demand for online gurus who fill that void. Critical thinking and self-reliance are crucial in navigating the world of online gurus. Exercise discernment in cutting negative people out of your life. Share ideas online without falling into the practices of online gurus. Ground ideas in personal experience and give credit to others. Differentiate between understanding concepts and real-world application. Avoid creating bad guys and in-groups/out-groups. Do not use flash for credibility. Be cautious of manipulating vulnerability for attention. Chapters 00:00 - Introduction: Online Gurus and Fluff Fluencers 09:01 - The Rise of Online Gurus 18:06 - The Education Gap and the Demand for Practical Knowledge 28:46 - Red Flags: How to Spot a Scammy Guru 32:33 - Green Flags: Signs of a Legitimate Online Guru 35:27 - The Difficulty of Calling Out Red Flags 37:22 - Navigating Negative People and Cutting Them Out 38:21 - Sharing Ideas Online Without Being a Full Influencer 39:45 - The Importance of Personal Experience 41:39 - Understanding Concepts vs. Real-World Application 47:52 - Avoiding the Creation of Bad Guys and In-Groups/Out-Groups 51:59 - The Pitfalls of Using Flash for Credibility 53:49 - The Manipulation of Vulnerability Follow LinkedIn - The Furious Curious Credits Hosted and produced by Britton Rice, with David Harper, Alexander Woell, Chase Domergue, Alex Detmering, and Nicole Lazar. Original logo by Nate Betts. Music “Cult of Personality” by In Living Colour Sources Fake Online Gurus: The Art of Deception Economic Distress Stimulates Religious Fundamentalism A Plague of Gurus: How the Internet Was Flooded with Fake Success YouTube: The Art of Deception LinkedIn: Jason Vana _______________ ©2024 The Furious Curious

3 Sep 20241h 14min

Exploring empathy fatigue and its impact on creators. Understanding the differences between empathy, sympathy, and compassion, as well as the symptoms of empathy fatigue. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Recognize that your audience is likely exhausted, so consider creating calming content. Embrace in-person experiences to counter digital overload. Avoid empathy fatigue as a creator by being selective in where you invest your emotional energy. Cultivate empathy through writing exercises and mindfulness meditation. Focus on understanding and connecting with your audience’s experiences. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction: Empathy Fatigue and Its Impact on Creators 10:20 - Chapter 1: Recognizing Audience Exhaustion 17:01 - Chapter 2: Creating Calming Content 20:26 - Chapter 3: Embracing In-Person Experiences 24:21 - Chapter 4: Avoiding Empathy Fatigue as a Creator 31:36 - Chapter 5: Cultivating Empathy 35:24 - Chapter 6: Connecting with Your Audience FOLLOW: LinkedIn - The Furious Curious CREDITS: Hosted and produced by Britton Rice, with contributions from David Harper, Alexander Woell, Chase Domergue, Alex Detmering, and Nicole Lazar. Our original logo was created by Nate Betts. KEYWORDS: empathy fatigue, creators, empathy, sympathy, compassion, symptoms, audience exhaustion, calming content, in-person experiences, emotional energy, writing exercises, mindfulness meditation, understanding audience MUSIC: “Emotion” (Curls) SOURCES: The Psychology of Emotional and Cognitive Empathy | Lesley University - lesley.edu Empathy - Wikipedia - en.wikipedia.org Compassion Definition | What Is Compassion - Greater Good Science Center - greatergood.berkeley.edu Empathy vs Compassion: The Difference, and Why They Matter — Calm Blog - calm.com Empathy, Sympathy, and Compassion – What’s the Difference? - compassionit.com _______________ ©2024 The Furious Curious

27 Aug 202436min

The Dead Internet Theory is an online conspiracy theory that asserts much of today’s internet activity is generated by bots and AI rather than real people. This week, Chase, Harper, and Alexander break down Dead Internet Theory, why it’s important, and what it means to create in the age of AI. This is The Furious Curious podcast, where we explore culture to inspire creators. TIMESTAMPS: 00:20 - Definition 06:00 - Examples 07:40 - Suspending Disbelief 10:10 - Youth and the Digital World 12:30 - Downsides 13:20 - What the Bots Say About the Bots 14:20 - Hypotheticals 15:20 - The Alternatives That May Re-emerge 19:05 - Reasons Why: A Premium on Human-Made 21:40 - Reasons Why: The Rise of Large Language Models (LLMs) 23:15 - Reasons Why: The ’16 Election 24:20 - Media Literacy 26:10 - The Evolution of Twitter (X) 27:15 - “The Inversion” 29:40 - Reasons Why: Do Social Media Companies Love Bots? 31:10 - Reasons Why: The Rise of Fake Images 35:52 - The Creative Opportunity FOLLOW: LinkedIn SOURCES: Wikipedia: Dead Internet Theory Springer Article New York Magazine: How Much of the Internet Is Fake? The Atlantic: Dead Internet Theory YouTube Video CREDITS: Hosted and produced by Britton Rice, along with David Harper, Alexander Woell, Chase Domergue, Alex Detmering, and Nicole Lazar. Our original logo is by Nate Betts. ©2024 The Furious Curious

20 Aug 202438min