Rhymes with Odd

This episode, we sit down with James Machamer, President and Chief Experience Officer of Walk Your Plans Des Moines. He discusses his transition from a 23-year military career and the fire department to launching a technology-driven business that projects life-size floor plans for homeowners and developers.Timestamps: (00:20) Innovative Business Model: James explains that "Walk Your Plans" takes architectural blueprints and projects them onto a floor at a 1:1 scale, allowing clients to physically walk through a space and verify the flow, furniture placement, and functionality before construction begins.(01:37) The Reality of Starting Up: He emphasizes that new entrepreneurs must prepare for a difficult lending environment; he specifically recommends the SBA 7A loan route but cautions that the process for startups is significantly more complex than it was decades ago.(03:06) Seeking Relevant Mentorship: James advises aspiring business owners to talk to those who have started businesses within the last three to five years, as the modern landscape of loans, technology, and regulations has changed drastically.(04:34) Beyond Residential Use: While often used for homes, the studio handles massive commercial projects, including a 150,000-square-foot industrial renovation where the team saved an estimated three months of design time in a single day (49:08).(10:54) Transition from Service: After retiring from the Navy as a combat corpsman and the Des Moines Fire Department due to injury, James struggled with his identity, eventually realizing that his service was "what he did, not who he was" (24:37).(33:39) Managing the "Noise": A recurring theme is the battle against "noise"—distractions that don't move the needle. He credits his wife for pushing him to use lists and EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) principles to maintain laser focus (38:40).(45:27) Bridging the Literacy Gap: He highlights that most people cannot truly "read" a 2D plan; his service provides confidence and clarity, preventing expensive "change orders" once the walls are already framed.(54:18) Leadership Wisdom: James shares the best advice he received from a Master Chief: "Slow down." He applies this today by taking moments to assess the bigger picture before reacting to business challenges.(59:05) Defining Success: He concludes that success is only possible when you enjoy the ride and give yourself permission to find joy in growth moments, even when the daily tasks are difficult.Thanks for tuning in for this episode of the Rhymes with Odd podcast. Make sure to subscribe to catch future interviews. Follow on TikTok: @rhymeswithoddFollow on Instagram: @rhymeswithodd#RhymeswithOdd #BusinessPodcast

Meet Craig Crile - Con-Founder of Group C. A digital marketing firm in Des Moines Iowa. Craig took his career in traditional advertising and launched his own company with his wife - setting out to make a bigger impact. Hear how he has grown his book of business to work with larger clients in Iowa including marketing agencies, car dealerships, and even Fareway Meat and Grocery. Craig shares tactical information he has gotten from meetings with publishing services like Disney, how he has run a business with his spouse effectively, how he quickly built a client base from being a vendor partner for others in the industry, and some of his biggest lessons he has learned along the way of building his business. Excited to jump in this week. LET”S GO!Check out Group C - https://www.consultgroupc.com/Thanks for tuning in for this episode of the Rhymes with Odd podcast. Make sure to subscribe to catch future interviews. Follow on TikTok: @rhymeswithoddFollow on Instagram: @rhymeswithodd#RhymeswithOdd #BusinessPodcast

In this episode, Ryan Snaadt sits down with Madisyn Wasson, founder of Wasson Management & Marketing, to unpack how she built an operations and marketing company from scratch, grew a fully remote team, and is now developing an AI-powered marketing platform that could disrupt her own industry.Madisyn shares her journey from sports rehab and telepsychiatry sales to entrepreneurship, explains how she scaled her team using contractors, and reveals how she’s leveraging AI to help small businesses grow efficiently.If you’re thinking about taking the leap from a corporate job to business ownership — or you’re curious about how AI is changing marketing — this is a must-listen.🔔 Subscribe for more business, marketing, and entrepreneurship interviews from Iowa and beyond.--- Podcast Show Notes & Timestamps(00:00)** Intro — Why Madisyn believes in “just doing it” and betting on yourself(00:39)** Meet your host, Ryan Snaadt — intro to the show and guest(01:24)** What Wasson Management & Marketing does and who they serve(02:45)** Understanding client journeys and systemizing customer experiences(04:17)** Why Chick-fil-A and LOF Oil Change are great examples of client experience(04:58)** Madisyn’s small-town Iowa roots and family farming background(06:17)** From physical therapy to telesales to entrepreneurship(07:45)** Launching a business during COVID and rebranding from “Virtual Solutions”(08:29)** Building her team from solo operator to a team of seven(10:47)** The power of SOPs and project management tools like ClickUp(12:14)** Training with Loom videos and documenting systems(13:05)** Hiring strategy — building the team before onboarding new clients(14:38)** Gaining trust with clients and team buy-in(16:22)** Serving blue-collar clients and lessons from niche industries(17:16)** Overcoming the fear of leaving a stable income(18:28)** How her services evolved from operations to full marketing(19:44)** Work-life balance challenges while working from home(21:13)** How a garage rebuild became the perfect home office(22:30)** Contractor vs. employee model for her remote team(23:17)** Why hiring contractors helped her scale efficiently(24:37)** The pros and cons of a fully virtual business(25:25)** Leveraging experts in SEO, digital ads, and design as contractors(26:20)** ⚡ Lightning Round — funny and offbeat questions(30:11)** Dream clients and goals for growth(31:57)** The “duck-sized horses” question and hilarious answers(33:21)** Strangest client request (a cat memorial!)(34:58)** Fictional characters and who she’d trust to run her business*(36:25)** Key lesson: Adaptability as the most underrated skill(37:51)** Top business tools — ClickUp, Slack, Zapier, Flowdesk, Cloud Campaign, ChatGPT(39:01)** Getting accepted into the Goldman Sachs Small Business Program(43:08)** How the idea for her AI Marketing Hub (“Growth IQ”) was born(44:37)** Building AI “employees” and her hands-on experience with crawlers(47:13)** Facing the fear of AI replacing her own job(48:54)** Why human creativity and strategy still matter(51:16)** The future of authenticity in an AI-driven world(52:56)** The importance of being adaptable and always learning(53:19)** Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs: take the leap(55:01)** The regret of never starting — wisdom from older generations(57:14)** How small tweaks in old industries can create massive impact(58:59)** Where to find Madisyn online + preview of Growth IQ(59:41)** Growth IQ launch details — free beta + $97/month subscription(1:00:03)** Closing thoughts and outro--- Connect with Madisyn🌐 [wassonmanagementmarketing.com](https://wassonmanagementmarketing.com)📸 Instagram: [@wassonmanagementmarketing](https://www.instagram.com/wassonmanagementmarketing)💼 LinkedIn: [Madisyn Wasson](https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisyn-wasson/)---Make sure to subscribe to catch future interviews. Follow on TikTok: @rhymeswithoddFollow on Instagram: @rhymeswithodd

Is your AI content actually hurting your brand? In this episode, AI expert and YouTuber Ryan Doser returns to the Rhymes with Odd Podcast to expose why low-effort “AI slop” is destroying trust online — and how business owners can use artificial intelligence the right way to grow their brand.We dive into:How AI-generated content impacts consumer trustThe rise of AI agents vs automationsTools like GPT-5, Sora 2, and Claude for real business useWhy authenticity and long-form content still winHow Ryan built a 25K+ YouTube following with SEO and consistencyThe dark side of AI hype, rage-bait creators, and fake influencersIf you’re a business owner, creator, or marketer trying to stay ahead in the AI age — this one’s for you.📺 Watch the full episode and subscribe for more interviews with entrepreneurs and creators pushing Iowa forward.⏱️ Timestamps00:00 – Intro: Is it real or AI?02:25 – The biggest leaps in AI tech (Sora 2, GPT-5, Claude)04:23 – AI agents vs automations explained07:45 – Where AI data really comes from09:00 – The “AI Slop” problem and loss of trust online11:35 – Growing 25K subscribers on YouTube using SEO14:20 – Turning YouTube traffic into a real business17:13 – Inside Ryan’s “AI Authority Accelerator”20:00 – Automating your business without losing authenticity25:40 – Favorite AI tools and platforms28:00 – Behind the scenes at NADN’s Agentic Arena event31:00 – Fake experts and the danger of AI rage bait34:30 – Industries that should avoid full AI automation38:00 – Why “published” is better than perfect for creators40:50 – Long-term reputation vs short-term sponsorship money42:45 – Building a business and brand with AI47:13 – Entertainer vs educator: finding your content niche49:45 – Authenticity as your competitive advantage52:30 – The dangers of deepfakes and viral AI videos54:30 – Final thoughts: trust, truth, and the future of AI