HIRED! The Podcast (Ft. Eddie Saunders Jr.) | Ep. #54
Stop Wasting Money on Bad Marketing
On this episode of HIRED! The Podcast, host Travis Miller sits down with Eddie Saunders Jr., founder of Speak Friend, to discuss one of the biggest issues in marketing today: companies wasting money on strategies that don’t work.
Eddie has spent years helping businesses rethink their approach to marketing, cutting unnecessary spend, leveraging AI, and focusing on engaging the 95% of potential customers that most brands ignore. In this conversation, he breaks down the most common marketing mistakes, how to fix them, and what the future holds for B2B and industrial marketing.
“There’s 95% of the market that’s just looking around, gathering information,” Eddie explains. “If you’re not engaging them, you’re missing out on future business.”
Instead of wasting money on ineffective ad spend, Eddie emphasizes the importance of educational content, speaking in a way that resonates with your audience, and learning from past customers. One of his favorite strategies is interviewing previous buyers to understand why they said yes, then using that insight to refine ad copy.
How AI is Changing the Game
AI isn’t just a buzzword—it’s transforming marketing. But while some businesses fear it, Eddie sees it as an opportunity.
“If you’re not leveraging AI, you’re already falling behind,” he warns. “AI isn’t going to take your job—but someone using AI effectively will take your job.”
At Speak Friend, Eddie’s team integrates AI into their workflow to automate repetitive tasks, create smarter content, and optimize ad spend. In his view, AI won’t replace marketers, but those who don’t embrace it will struggle to keep up.
The Biggest Waste of Marketing Budget
Eddie has worked with companies ranging from small startups to $150M industrial giants, and he sees the same wasteful habits across the board: bloated marketing teams with unclear roles, large ad budgets with no real tracking, and outdated tactics that don’t align with modern buying behavior.
His first step when working with clients? Cut the waste.
“We almost always reduce ad spend first before we optimize anything else,” Eddie says. “Most companies don’t even realize how much budget they’re burning.”
The Power of Personal Branding
Building a company brand is important—but personal branding can be even more powerful.
“People connect with humans, not logos,” Eddie explains. “Having subject matter experts as brand ambassadors increases trust and engagement.”
For business owners and job seekers, a strong personal brand makes you more visible in your industry, more approachable to new opportunities, and more valuable to potential employers and clients.
The Wrap
After years of experience across industries, Eddie has seen firsthand what works and what doesn’t in marketing. His insights challenge outdated approaches and push businesses toward strategies that actually make an impact. Whether it’s AI, audience engagement, or cutting wasted budget, his advice is clear—adapt or fall behind.