Most businesses think they have a marketing problem. In reality, it’s usually a brand problem. In this episode, we sit down with Melissa and Blake from AR Marketing to break down what drives results on social media today.

From building a strong brand foundation to showing up consistently across channels, we get into what works, what doesn’t, and where most businesses get it wrong.

We talk through:

Why chasing viral trends can hurt your brand

The real role of consistency in marketing

What “authentic” actually looks like in practice

How social media is changing (and how people are really searching now)

Simple ways to create content that connects and converts If your content feels scattered or your social media isn’t producing results, this is a good reset on what matters.

Bottom line: be real, stay consistent, and build something people actually trust.

What does it actually take to survive the ups and downs of business over decades? In this episode of the NextGen Strategies Podcast, we sit down with Shawn Bowshier of Ride One Powersports to talk about what it looks like to grow, struggle, and keep going anyway.

Shawn shares how he helped scale a business from $8M to $38M… and what happened when the market shifted and they lost over half of it almost overnight.

From navigating economic cycles to making tough calls on people, inventory, and direction, this conversation is a real look at what business ownership actually requires.

We also dig into:

- What changes when you go from employee to owner

- Why cash flow can make or break your business

- How to adapt your model as markets and customer behavior evolve

- The role of community and relationships in long-term success.

If you’re building, scaling, or trying to stay steady through uncertain times, this one hits close to home.

Part 2 of our conversation with Chris Haines continues his story around both personal and business growth.

In this episode, Chris talks about his additional business ventures he's gotten into. This includes coffee, retail, and property management.

We talk about the real truths that come with operating a small business in small towns.

Finally, we wrap up talking about the importance of not for profit involvement and the real impacts it can have.