Best Alex Rawlings Podcasts (2025)

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Logfile analysis is an SEO and GEO goldmine that is too often left untouched - Pieter Serraris 17:10

Play Pause

3h ago17:10

17:10

Pieter Serraris discusses with David Bain how logfile analysis is an SEO and GEO goldmine that is too often left untouched. Talking points include: - Logfile usecases - Crawl budget - AI bots - Visibility in ChatGPT - Clarifying the dark funnel - Topics popular for ChatGPT - What does this mean for strategy - Beyond SEO…

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Inside the LP Mindset & Mastering Co-Investments | Joe Basrawy, Partners Capital 26:29

2h ago26:29

26:29

In this episode, host Alex Rawlings is joined by Joe Basrawy, Managing Director at Partners Capital, a global multi-asset investment firm serving some of the world's most sophisticated investors — including private equity founders, endowments, and family offices. Joe offers a rare and in-depth look at the Limited Partner (LP) perspective — covering…

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Christmas at K-Mart with Mark Davis 45:38

5d ago45:38

45:38

Mark Davis has turned the in-store music cassettes he pocketed while working at a K-Mart in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s into “Attention K-Mart Shoppers,” a digitized collection of that background music at the Internet Archive (archive.org, not archive.com as I announced on the show). Others have since contributed parts of the K-Mart and Kresge’s l…

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Make analytics ready for your SEO to be able to track data effectively - with Priya Verma 18:13

6d ago18:13

18:13

Priya Verma shares the importance of making analytics ready for your SEO to be able to track data effectively. Talking points include: How do you make analytics ready for your SEO? Why does this let you track data more effectively? What software do you use? What data should be used in GA4? Metrics and dimensions How do you use this data elsewhere? …

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A Tale of Two Americas with Greg Grandin 51:02

7d ago51:02

51:02

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by Greg Grandin — Professor of History at Yale University and author of America, América: A New History of the New World — to discuss the USA's relationship with the other America: Latin America. Together, they explore the missed opportunities for true fraternity b…

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Operating Partners Are the Future of Private Equity | Jeremiah Wanzell on Consumer Brand Growth 20:56

7d ago20:56

20:56

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Jeremiah Wanzell, a seasoned consumer brand executive with leadership roles at Hugo Boss and Calvin Klein, and now an operating partner working with private equity firms to drive growth in the consumer sector. Jeremiah shares his insights into the evolving role of the operating partner, value creation bey…

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Solo Piano for Christmas with Nick Bhalla 45:07

12d ago45:07

45:07

Last year, Minneapolis-based jazz pianist Nick Bhalla released Saint Nick, a lovely album of solo jazz piano treatments of Christmas classics. His approach is interest in his laser-like focus on harmony, at the expense of the improvisation that dominates much of his musical practice. Rather than explore the melodic possibilities the best loved Chri…

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There's never been a better time to bridge any gaps between SEO and brand marketing - Christian Rigg 19:46

13d ago19:46

19:46

Christian Rigg shares why there's never been a better time to bridge any gaps between SEO and brand marketing. Talking points include: What are some typical gaps between SEO and brand marketing in a strategy? How do you prioritise what needs to be done? Who should be responsible for this? How does an SEO work more closely with brand? How can these …

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How Top Talent & Consumer Trends Drive $1.3B Growth With William Quartner 22:20

14d ago22:20

22:20

🔹 Episode Overview: In this episode, we’re joined by William Quartner, Partner at Prelude Growth Partners, a New York-based private equity firm dedicated to the high-growth consumer space. William shares insights from his impressive journey through investment banking and private equity at firms like Goldman Sachs and TowerBrook Capital, to now help…

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Start building your brand authority and direct audience relationships now - with John Iwuozor 19:06

20d ago19:06

19:06

John Iwuozor shares the importance of starting to build your brand authority and direct audience relationships now. Talking points include: Why is brand authority so important? Why are direct audience relationships so important? Why does brand recognition get you cited in AI answers? Why does this keep you top-of-mind when traffic from search decli…

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America's Empire of Bases 37:47

21d ago37:47

37:47

Does having 750 military base sites all around the world make America safer—or does it just make war more convenient? In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan reveal the costs and consequences of America's massive worldwide military footprint and examine how it enables Washington's disastrous quest to maintain globa…

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Inside the Psychology of Elite Founders (What 9-Figure Exits All Share) with Greg Moran 34:13

22d ago34:13

34:13

Guest: Greg Moran – Multi-exit founder, investor, and Managing Partner at Evergreen Mountain Equity Partners Host: Alex Rawlings, Founder of Raw Selection ⏱️ Timestamps & Topics 00:00 – Introduction to Greg Moran Alex welcomes Greg Moran, a multi-exit founder turned investor, and Managing Partner at Evergreen Mountain Equity Partners. Greg introduc…

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The "All I Want for Christmas is You" Lawsuit 24:09

25d ago24:09

24:09

The headlines tell a version of the story: “MARIAH CAREY SUED AGAIN OVER ‘ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU’ — BY THE SAME GUY,” according to Billboard. “Mariah Carey is SUED AGAIN over All I Want For Christmas Is You... as two writers claim her 1994 classic is a ripoff of their song of the same name” according to The Daily Mail. “Mariah Carey Sued B…

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Use Conversational SEO and Query Data Clustering via machine learning - with Konrad Szymaniak 16:37

27d ago16:37

16:37

Konrad Szymaniak shares the importance of using conversational SEO and query data clustering via machine learning. Talking points include: What is Conversational SEO & Query Data Clustering? Why is machine learning key? What do we want to achieve from this? What software do you use? What type of businesses should be doing this? How is this changing…

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Marketing That Delivers: Direct Response Tactics for Private Equity with John Dwyer 29:17

28d ago29:17

29:17

🕒 Episode Timestamps & Show Notes 00:00 – Introduction Alex welcomes John Dwyer, Founder of The Institute of WOW, to explore how direct response marketing can drive real results for private equity firms and their portfolio companies. 00:53 – What is WOW Factor Marketing? John explains his flipped model: get prospects to try your product so they fal…

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Dub Reggae for Holidays with Black Market Dub 1:13:13

1M ago1:13:13

1:13:13

This week's guests are Black Market and Wise Owl (or Nate Bridges and Brandon Niznik) of the Los Angeles-based duo Black Market Dub. On their Bandcamp page, they introduce themselves with a series of questions: "What would happen if The Beach Boys had The Wailers as their backing band instead of The Wrecking Crew? What if David Bowie spent the summ…

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Combining SEO and CRO and growing collaboration between these functions - with Ninsiima Rukandema 15:07

1M ago15:07

15:07

Ninsiima Rukandema shares the importance of combining SEO and CRO and growing collaboration between these functions. Talking points include: What do you mean by combining SEO and CRO? What can SEO do for CRO and what can CRO do for SEO? What does this mean in practice? How do you measure the impact of doing this? How do you sell the value of this t…

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How Brett Hickey Built a $Billion Firm From Nothing | Leadership & PE Lessons Every CEO Must Hear 43:16

1M ago43:16

43:16

Episode Summary: In this insightful episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brett Hickey, the CEO and founder of Star Mountain Capital. Brett shares his unique journey from humble beginnings in Northwestern Canada to leading a multi-billion-dollar asset management firm in the U.S. With deep reflections on leadership, value-based investing, building col…

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How Think Tanks Sell War with Ben Freeman & Nick Cleveland-Stout 1:07:06

1M ago1:07:06

1:07:06

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by the Quincy Institute's Ben Freeman & Nick Cleveland-Stout to discuss how America's top think tanks profoundly shape our country's approach to the world — and the golden opportunity these institutions represent for arms companies and foreign governments trying to…

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The Birth of All-Christmas Radio with Jerry Ryan 36:35

1M ago36:35

36:35

These days, we take the all-Christmas radio format for granted. Every year, countless adult contemporary--AC--stations temporarily change their format and go wall to wall with Christmas music somewhere between Halloween and Black Friday. Jerry Ryan gets the credit for pioneering the switch when he was vice president and general manager of KESZ-FM i…

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Create content that AI can't create - with Tom Rawle 16:18

1M ago16:18

16:18

Tom Rawle shares the importance of creating content that AI can't create. Build relevant, informative, unique, authentic content for on-page and off-page SEO that can't be replicated. Talking points include: What kind of content can humans create that AI can’t? How do you create unique content? How do you create authentic content? What do you mean …

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Private Equity’s GTM Wake-Up Call: Talent, Segmentation & the $500M Mistake 36:56

1M ago36:56

36:56

🧠 Episode Summary: In this insightful episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Brian Reavell, Founder of R-Squared Advisors and seasoned Private Equity Operating Partner, to dive deep into the world of go-to-market (GTM) strategies. Brian shares a comprehensive GTM playbook for PE-backed portfolio companies—spanning from due diligence and customer segme…

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Blind Boys of Alabama on Christmas Music (Remixed) 51:44

2M ago51:44

51:44

I think of this episode of Twelve Songs as a remix, a second pass at the same material with very different results. In 2003, The Blind Boys of Alabama recorded Go Tell it on the Mountain, an album of gospel and gospel-inflected Christmas music that Omnivore Recordings reissued in 2016. Last season, I talked to the Blind Boys' guitarist and musical …

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Learn to write better content instead of relying on AI - with Will Slater 17:17

2M ago17:17

17:17

Will Slater shares that it's essential to learn to write better content instead of relying on AI. Talking points include: Why shouldn’t AI be relied upon to write content? What content needs to be written by humans? What does good human-written content look like structurally and why is that different to AI? How do you compete with the volume that A…

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How AI and Product Strategy Are Reshaping Value Creation 26:43

2M ago26:43

26:43

Guest: David Rowley, Operating Partner at Diversis Capital Host: Alex Rawlings Topic: Product Strategy, Artificial Intelligence, and the Evolving Role of the Operating Partner 🔍 Episode Overview: In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by David Rowley, Operating Partner at Diversis Capital, to explore how private equity can drive value creation th…

1
Gaza: Headlines vs. Reality 29:00

2M ago29:00

29:00

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan discuss how the headlines about Gaza in most mainstream U.S. media outlets have consistently obfuscated the reality of Israel's genocidal campaign, and downplayed America's role in enabling and defending Israeli war crimes. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the…

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"Cumbia Navideñas" with É Arenas 1:01:39

2M ago1:01:39

1:01:39

Eduardo Arenas surprised me in the first moments of this week's interview when he revealed that Chicano Batman had played its last gig for now and might be done. He played bass in the band since its start in 2008, and he reflects not on his band specifically but how musicians grow apart. As É Arenas, he has recorded at least one Christmas song a ye…

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All Generative AI tools rely on traditional search results to answer questions - with James Hocking 17:29

2M ago17:29

17:29

James Hocking shares that all Generative AI tools rely on traditional search results to answer questions, and most (Google excluded) rely on Bing for web search. Discussion points include: Why do AI tools rely on Bing? What do we been to rank on Bing? What specifically do we need to do differently to rank in AI results? What information does Copilo…

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Why Founders Are Saying No to Buyouts — Hidden River’s Game-Changing Capital Strategy 18:40

2M ago18:40

18:40

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast — Episode with Graham Bachman, Hidden River Strategic Capital Guest: Graham Bachman, Managing Director & Head of Business Development at Hidden River Strategic Capital Host: Alex Rawlings In this episode of The Private Equity Podcast, Alex Rawlings is joined by Graham Bachman, who shares how Hidden River Strategic Capi…

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Donna Summer for Disco and Christmas 49:43

2M ago49:43

49:43

Donna Summer has been a fascination of mine because she was on the cutting edge of electronic dance music, but since "I Feel Love" and other forays into early electronic music were produced by the legendary Giorgio Moroder and Pete Bellotte, it isn't clear what role she played in her sound. Last season I talked to songwriter Bruce Sudano about that…

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In 2025, your best SEO edge is joining communities - with Erin Simmons 18:01

2M ago18:01

18:01

In this episode Erin Simmons shares that in 2025, your best SEO edge is joining communities — they give you the real language of your audience for better content and earn you trust that fuels brand visibility across search and AI. Discussion points include: Why are communities so important? How do you know the right communities you should be intera…

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From Army Officer to PE CEO: 4 Mistakes Killing Portfolio Performance (Otis Spencer) 31:09

2M ago31:09

31:09

The Private Equity Podcast – Show Notes Guest: Otis Spencer Host: Alex Rawlings Episode Title: Lessons in Leadership: From Army Logistics to PE Operating Partner & CEO Success 🎙 Episode Overview: In this episode, Otis Spencer, a former U.S. Army logistics officer turned private equity operating partner and CEO, shares a compelling journey of leader…

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A Culture of Empire | Always at War x American Prestige 44:46

2M ago44:46

44:46

In this episode of Always at War, hosts Courtney Rawlings and Alex Jordan are joined by American Prestige's Daniel Bessner to discuss how Americans have come to understand — and however begrudgingly, accept — the costs and consequences of our nation’s military empire. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Courtney …

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Porcupine Tree's Steven Wilson on AI And Christmas 1:09:12

2M ago1:09:12

1:09:12

A new season of Twelve Songs begins with a conversation that is, frankly, more about AI—artificial intelligence—than it is Christmas music, but since we’re six months from the holiday, it seems like a good time for this conversation. Last year, I interviewed Steven Wilson of the British prog rock band Porcupine Tree about “December Skies,” a song h…

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Think like a Marketer and expand your SEO strategy across LLMs - with Simone de Palma 25:18

2M ago25:18

25:18

In this episode Simone de Palma shares 3 key tips... 1) Think like a Marketer and expand your SEO strategy across LLMs to chase visibility over clicks. 2) Act like an Analyst and explore opportunities with the Google Merchant Centre. 3) Use your technical skills to double down on structured data implementation…

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From Investor to Operator: Hard Truths from 35 Years in Private Equity with Matthew Kearney 32:41

2M ago32:41

32:41

🎙️ The Private Equity Podcast – Essentials for Investors with Matthew Kearney This episode is packed with pragmatic advice and “growth hacks for operators” – get your pen ready. ⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps: 00:03 – Introduction Meet Matthew Kearney: 35 years in private equity, from 3i to operating partner and PE-backed CEO. 01:07 – From 3i t…

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It's hard to imagine a future in which building a brand is a negative ROI activity - Greg Heilers 19:23

3M ago19:23

19:23

Greg Heilers shares that it's hard to imagine a future in which building a brand is a negative ROI activity. Talking points include: Why is building a brand so important for SEO in 2025? Why is this likely to be just as important in the future? In relation to SEO, what do you have to do to build a successful online brand? What are the specific SEO …

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How your competitors are using AI in the Private Equity industry with Greg Nieuwenhuys 31:21

3M ago31:21

31:21

Guest: Greg Nieuwenhuys – Private Equity Advisor, Chairman & AI Expert Topic: Unlocking Generative AI for Private Equity & Portfolio Companies 🔹 Intro & Background (0:00 – 2:00) Greg shares his 20+ years in PE-backed consumer goods: Baver (Netherlands), Cotterdardoor (UK), Mammoth, Wattbike, and No-Door. Passion for AI began two years ago, driven b…

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Iran Regime Change...Again? 27:35

3M ago27:35

27:35

Courtney and Alex discuss America's long and sordid history of pursuing regime change around the world in light of the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran, which triggered bipartisan calls from Washington for the Trump administration to try and topple the government in Tehran. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy Institute’s Court…

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The Yin and Yang of SEO: being human in an AI-driven world - with Kerstin Reichert 18:47

3M ago18:47

18:47

Kerstin Reichert discusses the importance of the Yin and Yang of SEO - being human in an AI-driven world. Talking points include: How do you stay human in an AI-driven world? What do you mean by an AI-driven world? You recommend using AI to quickly scale - what does that look like? How do you use AI to enhance processes? How do you use AI to produc…

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Investing in the hospitality industry with Nate Edgerly 29:49

3M ago29:49

29:49

In this insightful episode, Nate Edgerly, CEO of Enzo Group Inc., discusses his journey from CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers to a seasoned private equity investor and executive leader in the hospitality industry. Nate shares valuable insights on leadership, long-term investing, and what makes hospitality businesses thrive or fail. Key Takeaways: Nate…

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AI is an influencer, PR is vital, and CRO is going to be more integrated into SEO - Bruce Clay 25:05

3M ago25:05

25:05

Bruce Clay shares that SEO will be more important in the future: AI is an influencer, PR is vital, and conversion rate optimization going to be more integrated into the SEO effort. Discussion points include: Is SEO more important than it used to be? What do you mean when you say that AI is an influencer? When you say that PR is vital, how does PR f…

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Building a $2.3 billion-dollar business from the ground up with Jeff Zwiefel 49:04

3M ago49:04

49:04

In this episode, Alex speaks with Jeff Zwiefel, former President & COO of Life Time, about scaling the business from $139M to $2.3B in revenue and navigating multiple private equity exits and IPOs. Jeff shares how a people-first culture and rigorous training enabled long-term, sustainable growth in a competitive industry. Jeff discusses why private…

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How Terrorism Works with Elizabeth Beavers 59:21

3M ago59:21

59:21

Courtney and Alex speak with national security legal scholar Elizabeth Beavers about how the U.S. government defines terrorism and discuss whether America's terrorist designations and counterterrorism wars prolong conflict and advance political agendas, rather than make Americans safer. ### Why is America seemingly always at war? Join the Quincy In…

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Expertise combined with opinions of people is what matter - with Gagan Ghotra 14:28

3M ago14:28

14:28

Gagan Ghotra shares that expertise combined with opinions of people is what matter. Discussion points include: How do you demonstrate expertise in content? Why are opinions of people important? How do you incorporate opinions in content? How do you measure the success of this strategy in search engines? How should this be incorporated into a conten…

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The Eternal Causes of War | Always at War x NonZero 45:03

3M ago45:03

45:03

Courtney and Alex join Robert Wright's Nonzero podcast to discuss America's addiction to war in light of Trump's airstrikes on Iran. This episode is a special collaboration between Always at War and Nonzero. To access the full "Overtime" conversation, go to: https://www.nonzero.org/p/the-eternal-causes-of-war-robert ### Why is America seemingly alw…

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The professionalisation of Private Equity with Henry Ward 28:00

3M ago28:00

28:00

In this episode, Alex Rawlings is joined by Henry Ward, CEO and Co-Founder of Carta, to explore the evolving landscape of private equity and venture capital through the lens of software, operations, and professionalization. Henry shares his journey building Carta into a multi-billion-dollar software business and how it’s transforming the infrastruc…

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Focus on Relevancy, with Less Outreach, Fewer Links, and Less Content - with Vince Nero 17:37

4M ago17:37

17:37

Vince Nero advises focusing on relevancy in 2025, meaning less outreach, fewer links, and less Content. Discussion points include: Why is less more? What do you mean by focusing on relevancy? Why less outreach? Why fewer links? Why less content? What does this mean for strategy? How do you track success? How do you persuade senior managers that les…

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The most important factor of business with David Feingold 20:40

4M ago20:40

20:40

David Feingold, CEO of Broad Street Global, joins us on The Private Equity Podcast to share his 35+ year journey from law to leading one of the largest infrastructure-focused PE firms in the U.S. He unpacks lessons in leadership, hiring, culture, and why they’ve entered crypto mining. This episode is a masterclass in building high-performing teams …

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There are proven ways to smartly rank better in the AI models - with Jon Mest 16:49

4M ago16:49

16:49

Jon Mest shares that there are proven ways to smartly rank better in the AI models. Talking points include: What does ranking better in AI models actually mean in practice? What measurable impact does this have? How do you measure leads from AI models? Is ChatGPT the best source of leads? How do you SEO for AI models? How is the space continuing to…