Best The YCL Podcasts (2026)

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It's a December to Remember Sales Event! 5:08

Play Pause

16d ago5:08

5:08

Hopefully y'all are experiencing what I am demanding all of my clients call a 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 with an uncommon rash of sales opportunities and energy at 11:59 of the year 2025. This is bonkers. Here's some quick context and advice before EOY.By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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YCL! 2026 Announcement (and a lil Second Harvest tease too) 4:29

19d ago4:29

4:29

New plans & big plans for You Can't Lose! in 2026, as well as a tease for some more updates from Richard to follow about exciting new Second Harvest things too!By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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Singles and Doubles 1:00:58

3M ago1:00:58

1:00:58

Joe and Richard unpack why creative work, and life, is more about steady contact than home runs. They explore the art of doing less but better, resisting the urge to please everyone, and finding meaning in risk, friction, and imperfection.By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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Richard is back from Second Harvest in Spain! 55:56

3M ago55:56

55:56

In this episode, Richard joins fresh off his Second Harvest retreat in Spain to talk about the myth of constant creativity, Joe talks about the beauty of the “average Thursday,” and Richard speaks to why resistance is the doorway to real growth. We trade stories about chasing the thrill of deadline chaos, the grind versus the high of agency life, a…

1
The Nanas in the Village: Hospitality & Anticipation as a Superpower 52:24

5M ago52:24

52:24

This week Richard and Joe are still unpacking Second Harvest leading to some insights into the concept of hospitality as a skill. Convening the right people, the right way, and letting uncommon outcomes happen is a skill both Richard and Joe have developed over decades and applying these ideas to clients and relationships can yield profound outcome…

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Second Harvest! Behind the Scenes 54:57

6M ago54:57

54:57

Richard and Devon launched Second Harvest in Austria successfully and he's here to spill a ton of behind the scenes details, insights into the event, deeper dives into the unique philosophy behind Second Harvest, how it went, and where it goes from here. This is a must-listen if you've followed this event at all along the way!https://www.secondharv…

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Alliance Has Direction 51:43

7M ago51:43

51:43

In this episode, Joe and Richard explore the difference between community and alliance: “An alliance is going someplace… it has direction.” They trade time-travel hypotheticals, reflect on the problem-solving joy of The Martian and The Last of Us, and debate whether their businesses are behaving like nouns or verbs. “Do something with this,” Joe in…

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Solid Diagonal Line Up: Anthony Colangelo & MECO's origin story 51:54

8M ago51:54

51:54

While Richard was away Joe catches up with Anthony Colangelo, partner at Pine Works, host of Main Engine Cut Off & cohost of Off-Nominal, Engineering leader, iOS product developer, birds fan, dad, and Joe's spiritual nephew. Anthony has grown a space flght, exploration, and policy podcast empire rooted in his sincere passion and strong opinions re:…

1
eHouse Gets Acquired: Reaction Pod + The Philadelphia Experiment starts! 46:00

9M ago46:00

46:00

Richard and Joe break down their conversation with Chris & Aaron Quinn, more details about agency acquisitions, private equity vs venture capital, and they spill the beans about The Philadelphia Experiment April 9-11.By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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Little By Little, Then All At Once: eHouse Gets Acquired 56:37

9M ago56:37

56:37

Chris and Aaron Quinn join to share their experiences creating, growing, and ultimately scaling eHouse through an acquisition. Thanks to our friends for being so candid and informative about their experiences!By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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Take the Credit Out & Get More Done 30:12

10M ago30:12

30:12

Duolingo announced changing their job titles from UX Design to Product Experience Design and created a 2013-Twitter-era dust up so Richard and Joe chime in with their thoughts. We discuss the purpose of job titles, the way identity effs with you, and to bring it back to sales in a meta way we ask what's more important? That you achieve your objecti…

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Waiting Super Hard is Your Biz Dev Strategy 47:14

11M ago47:14

47:14

This episode has it all!Richard shares how embedding "brown M&M" contract requirements helps you get what you wantHe also discusses how the TNT (takes no talent) parts of a business lead to successJoe provides an example: Respond to new leads shockingly quickly and meet your clients' enthusiasmRichard describes his tantric response to awkward silen…

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The Medium & The Message 53:26

11M ago53:26

53:26

Richard and Joe discuss the little cohort/therapy group they're in and how beneficial that relationship has become over the past year. Within that discussion Richard explains how effective it can be to manage communication patterns within a community, for example conducting types of conversations in person while conducting very different conversati…

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Zero Forecasting & Overinvesting in Biz Dev Seasons 47:00

11M ago47:00

47:00

There's a few big ideas in this week's episode. Richard makes a strong case that Pipedrive weighted outcome forecasting for open opportunities and leads is steering you wrong. It's 0% forecastable revenue until the check clears.Joe says tracking sales quarterly sets you up to fail. There are two selling seasons and two off-seasons every year, plan …

1
How to Make Funny Kids 45:39

12M ago45:39

45:39

In our ongoing "Parenting Advice That's Not For Everyone" Richard and Joe explain in detail the benefits of arming your kids with humor, and how to make your kids funny. From the benefit of "banned books" to letting your kids funny their way out of trouble to shoving your 8-year-old into Victoria's Secret, this episode has it all.…

1
Concept Cars & Black Tar Heroin 55:03

1y ago55:03

55:03

This week Joe and Richard discuss some tactical tricks of the trade as well as examples from the industry and from popular culture. What's the value of showing a client a glimpse into a far future state of their project as a concept car? How does casting the vision far ahead dramatically improve the client's ability to be attracted to novel ideas, …

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You Are Not The Car You Drive! -Tyler Durden 55:35

1y ago55:35

55:35

This week Joe unpacks some old Happy Cog notebooks and they spark a conversation about our identity and relationship to our work. How revisiting previous versions of yourself and your experiences can reinvigorate your current status quo. And how to overcome the urge for perfect by embracing small experiments in progress.…

1
Chief Repeating Officers, Alumni & AI 51:14

1y ago51:14

51:14

This week we talk about reinforcing change with repetition. Consistently reinforcing new behaviors and processes to drive lasting change. Investing in talent growth by positioning your agency as a talent incubator. Leveraging alumni networks and expanding your agency's reputation and business opportunities. We also dig into Adapting to AI's impact …

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A Work/Life Additive Approach to Mid-Life Opportunities 55:16

1y ago55:16

55:16

In this episode, Joe and Richard explore the idea of blending work and life, highlighting the ability to mix business with pleasure on trips, and emphasize how midlife can be a time of reinvention rather than decline.The episode also touches on the benefits of running life "experiments" to explore new directions after major transitions like career …

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The End of You Can't Lose!?!?!?!? 53:27

1+ y ago53:27

53:27

Well it's not the end, but we're talking about ways the podcast's focus will evolve and change. No spoilers yet, but this week we talk more about a "Second Harvest." The opportunity to make the next 50 years of our lives a better 50 years than the first. Look for some updates over the next few weeks as You Can't Lose! evolves. Hell it might even sp…

1
Back to School 46:12

1+ y ago46:12

46:12

When the kids are loaded on to the school bus and Richard and Joe are left alone in their houses we start digging into some bigger picture ideas... Some of which might harbinger and new direction for the podcast over the next few weeks...????By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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You're Doing Business Travel Wrong 49:13

1+ y ago49:13

49:13

This week the boys discuss their life hacks for successful business travel that also fill your cup spiritually. The TL;DR version is spend one additional day wherever you travel, and put up a Bat Signal once your there to attract some serendipitous meetings and hangs. Lots more detail and tips in this week' episode!…

1
Make Art Post Art 55:56

1+ y ago55:56

55:56

In this episode, we talk about finding the right balance between creative side projects and work. Ensuring side hustles don't become hassles. Joe shares the fun of turning art into a successful Etsy shop and the thrill of connecting with a supportive fanbase. They touch on the challenges of staying creatively fulfilled while running a business and …

1
Burn It To The Ground! 1:00:51

1+ y ago1:00:51

1:00:51

Sometimes it feels like the only way to change something is to throw a match at it and burn it all down to start over. In this episode we talk about Gell's Law, how all complex systems are built upon simple systems. Getting the core, foundational systems "right" influences everything. Let's talk about how to manage and navigate this process.Also we…

1
Nate Silvering the Math 44:03

1+ y ago44:03

44:03

n this episode, we explore the intricate balance between math and qualitative insights in business operations, particularly in consulting and lead flow, highlighting the limitations of small sample sizes.We dive into how organizational structure impacts innovation, referencing Safi Bahcall's "Loonshots," and emphasize the importance of qualitative …

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From Fixing $5 Haircuts to the Future of Agencies in 45 Min 45:46

1+ y ago45:46

45:46

Richard has an angle on agency viability and purpose in an age of highly competitive digital products and tools. He's been working this out offline for a while now, but he's sharing with the You Can't Lose! audience to stress test his hypothesis. There's something there and it's a delight to hear him talk about the promise of client services from a…

1
MC Adam Kurzawa: Trust is Currency 1:02:19

1+ y ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Adam is a biz dev pro with decades of experience in client services and after all of those years, and all of those clients, and all of that revenue, sales success comes down to trust. Clients have to trust you. Your team has to trust you. Ownership has to trust you. You can see why Adam has enjoyed such a long track record of success when you hear …

1
Wil Reynolds: People Want to Hear from People 1:20:26

1+ y ago1:20:26

1:20:26

Wil Reynolds joins You Can't Lose! this week, hold onto your butts. Wil is the shot in the arm you need if you're working in client services trying to figure out how to connect with clients. He's a content marketing machine, founder of SEER interactive, and a great example of how good citizenship of you community = equity in both business and in li…

1
Config & IRL Conferences Strike Back! 43:25

1+ y ago43:25

43:25

Richard is fresh off his trip to Config in SF and has thoughts on what the demand for this event tells us about the value of live events, some quick thoughts on the latest Figma news, and a long conversation about the value of people connecting IRL.Let's dive in!By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

1
Tracey Halvorsen Back! Always Be Helping 1:00:32

1+ y ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Somehow we got Tracey Halvorsen to join the podcast again! Tracey is the CEO at Adeo (https://helloadeo.com/) and shares her thoughts on a lifetime of client services experience, her thoughts on value pricing, the value of relationships, and the secret to a long and successful career: You gotta listen to learn more!…

1
Warren Wilansky: Smooth is Fast 56:21

1+ y ago56:21

56:21

Warren Wilansky is founder and President of Plank, our favorite Montreal web design and dev agency, and he joins us this week to explain how to grow an agency over 25 years. 25 years!!!It's super simple, it's all about relationships. Don't think about leads or accounts or marketing or sales. Cultivate authentic relationships and BOOM you're an over…

1
Comparison is the Thief of Joy 58:46

1+ y ago58:46

58:46

Ryan Irelan reminded me of this quote he heard on Julia Luis Dreyfus's podcast Wiser Than Me when she interviewed Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird, who attributed it to Teddy Roosevelt. That's how information works these days btw. Comparison shopping and Keeping Up With the Jones focuses on outcomes instead of on the journey. This week we talk a…

1
No Solutions, Just Roadmaps of Inquiry 1:00:06

1+ y ago1:00:06

1:00:06

There are no answers. No book that solves all your problems. No operating system to save you.What will serve you is an ability to see through these remedies to the underlying lessons or principles they're built on. Apply what works. Be flexible about what doesn't. Evolve constantly and question everything. There are no golden eggs or skeleton keys.…

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First Dog to the Bowl Wins & Agency Life Expectancy 58:23

1+ y ago58:23

58:23

How do you grow your most valuable accounts? Is that the PM's job? Do you need account managers? What can we learn from an ad agency's account strategy playbook? This episode we go HARD into account leadership. We share recommendations and best practices. Start here: Establishing process is an act of generosity, and when it comes to defining proces…

1
How to Punch Above Your Weight 1:01:27

1+ y ago1:01:27

1:01:27

How can we apply what we know about client services sales to B2B sales? To SaaS sales? To small businesses? To traditional selling environments? It's easier than you think.This episode is about applying base principles of agency and client services sales to ALL KINDS OF SALES. How can you punch above your weight? How can you break through the noise…

1
Fixing Unintentionally Hybrid Teams 1:03:14

1+ y ago1:03:14

1:03:14

On the topic of in-person teams and distributed teams a population of unintentionally hybrid teams are struggling with their identities. Teams that embraced a distributed approach during COVID, and are now left reconciling with the remnants of their in-person culture and the reality of their distributed staff. In this episode we discuss the remedie…

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Episode 036: Back To Office!!! And the Hybrid Hell in Between 1:00:25

1+ y ago1:00:25

1:00:25

Building out from Richard's Extreme Agency Playbook we dive into the issue of co-located and distributed teams. More accurately we really dig into the current state of many teams: Unintentionally Hybrid.COVID created an industry of unintentionally hybrid teams and we're only starting to deal with the aftermath. While enterprises are forcing a Retur…

1
Episode 035: Richard Banfield's Agency Playbook 1:12:32

1+ y ago1:12:32

1:12:32

How to run an agency? Richard has notes.Colocation over distributed. 12 year strategies. Apprenticeships. No bonuses, no profit share, no exits. Suburban campuses over city offices. This episode packs a lot of heat.We're kicking off a miniseries within the podcast this week. Over the next few weeks Richard will share his playbook for the ideal agen…

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Episode 034: Jay Fanelli Rides The IPO Lightning 1:04:41

1+ y ago1:04:41

1:04:41

Richard meets his new best friend Jay Fanelli in this episode of You Can't Lose! Jay is an agency owner, e-commerce company owner, and enterprise design leader with a unique perspective on how teams and businesses grow and evolve. A self described "vibes" over "numbers" manager, the vibes are strong in this episode with Jay this week.What was it li…

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Episode 32: A Mustache Is A Choice, And So Is Everything Else 59:44

2y ago59:44

59:44

This week Richard and Joe focus on the conscious and unconscious decisions that shape work culture. Why does your team use Slack? Why not Discord? Whatever happened to Campfire? How about Figma, and Notion, and Basecamp, and Google docs, and where was that question someone asked you? Was it in Slack Thread? Good lord then it might be lost to antiqu…

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Episode 031: Jon Lax, As Close To Bare Metal As Possible 1:04:31

2y ago1:04:31

1:04:31

Jon Lax joins the podcast this week, you're welcome. We tracked down the elusive former Meta VP of Product and cofounder of legendary Teehan+Lax in a mountain cabin where he's not planning the future of technology and spatial computing because he's earned a goddamn break. Curious about what it was like at Facebook as they built all of the other par…

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Episode 029: Dan Ostrower & the 3 Party Agreement 55:25

2y ago55:25

55:25

This week we're joined by Dan Ostrower from 3rd Horizon. Dan shares about his experiences on both the enterprise and consulting agency sides of the client services industry and makes a great case for the value of this insider/outside perspective. He also speaks to his experience cultivating enterprise innovation through his consultancy.Is your sale…

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Episode 028: Tracey Halvorsen on art, relationships, and kicking ass 59:18

2y ago59:18

59:18

We’re joined this episode by badass Tracey Halvorsen!!! Tracey is an artist, a people connector, and she’s sold and executed more amazing web and digital client services projects than you’ve ever imagined. Tracey unpacks some of her thoughts on how relationships inform and are reflected in client engagements. She zooms out and talks about life. She…

1
Episode 027: "Scaling" is for Assholes 56:26

2y ago56:26

56:26

This week Richard and Joe are back out in the wild hosting events, meeting with friends and colleagues IRL, and trying to make meaningful connections within their networks. Richard is in NYC for a Knapsack Design System Leadership summit:https://www.knapsack.cloud/design-systems-leadership-summit-nyc-february-22-2024And Joe is back to his PhilaMade…

1
Episode 026: Bromantic Valentine's Day Pod 1:00:16

2y ago1:00:16

1:00:16

In a very special Valentine's Day episode join Joe and Richard for a deep dive into the complexities of male friendships, personal growth, and the evolving landscape of professional relationships. They explore the significance of nurturing genuine connections outside of work and the impactful role of friendships in personal and professional develop…

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Episode 025: Close All Your Tabs NOT THAT ONE! 56:44

2y ago56:44

56:44

It's Story Time again on the pod! Richard has a sordid story about browser tabs, and then Joe has a story about a client video conference pitch fumble. From there we unpack pitching. It's so weird! Why is this the way? Richard has notes.By Joe Rinaldi & Richard Banfield

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Episode 024: Story Time from Jon Lax + Botany of Desire 59:55

2y ago59:55

59:55

Jon Lax of Teehan + Lax and Meta fame is our first brave Story Time contributor. Thank you Jon! Jon is the best and his story weaves a client pitch nightmare that will sound familiar to many, and haunt your dreams.We screw up all of the value Jon brings by talking about the Vision Pro release, the nightmare of Vision Pro personas, whether or not we…

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Episode 023: "The Sports Illustrated RFP" Rose Colored Lenses 1:05:02

2y ago1:05:02

1:05:02

Small Teams & Identity + The Sports Illustrated RFP StoryCome for the sales conversation, stay for Richard's deep thoughts on identity, the power of small teams, and work culture. We go deep fast.Then in the wake of Sports Illustrated's seeming demise Joe dusts off the SI RFP story. It's 2013 and SI wants a complete Mobile First redesign in time fo…

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Episode 022: Standing Out is a Feature, Not a Bug 50:56

2y ago50:56

50:56

Look at James White or @signalnoise to his friends. The man is a vibe standing out in a crowded marketplace. A complete idea of who he is and what he does snaps into place once you've made the connection to him and his personal brand. As salespeople, as colleagues, as members of social networks it pays dividends when your personal brand/vibe/identi…

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Episode 021: The Design Maturity Index, Aggregate Suits & In Fresco Dining 1:04:21

2y ago1:04:21

1:04:21

The InVision Design Maturity Assessment surfaced the unmeasured value of collaboration, EQ, cross discipline relationships, and open communication. In this episode Richard reveals more about the origin and value of the DMA, what it surfaced, and how the same ideas can apply in a host of areas.Meanwhile somehow in the same podcast Joe explains the a…