Social media isn’t burning you out, your workflow might be.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Matt Navarra — social strategist, consultant, media commentator, and author of the Geekout newsletter — to unpack the realities of working in social today.

From Matt’s unconventional career path (banking, teaching, government comms) to becoming one of the most trusted voices in the industry, this conversation dives into:

• ADHD and why social media attracts neurodivergent brains
• Burnout, boundaries, and shaping work around how you actually operate
• AI as your wingman — not your creative director
• Why judgment and personality matter more in an AI-saturated feed
• The shift from rented reach to owned community
• Repeatable, episodic content and building formats people come back for

We also touch on the Sked Social x Matt Navarra Trends Report — now live — where community is positioned as the true growth engine for brands in 2026 and beyond.

If you work in social, lead a team, or are trying to stay relevant without cooking yourself in the process, this one’s for you.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social — the platform built for teams who treat social seriously.

And if you’re looking to bring more structure to your creative process, Sked Ideas is now live with a free 14-day trial.

Ideas are infinite now. Execution is the real bottleneck.

In this episode, Lach sits down with Rich Henson, Product Manager at Sked Social, to unpack what actually happens between customer feedback and product launches — and why most social teams are drowning in ideas but starving for clarity.

From rebuilding approvals (and killing the screenshot era) to spotting early signals around AI adoption, Rich shares what five years inside Sked has taught him about workflow, burnout, and building tools that don’t replace social media managers — but empower them.

They also give a behind-the-scenes look at Sked Ideas, a new feature designed to bridge the messy gap between “rough thought” and “ready to schedule.”

You’ll hear:

• Why Google Sheets accidentally became the planning tool of choice
• How to filter good ideas from useful ones
• The real impact of AI on social professionals
• Why “grow at all costs” is a trap for agencies
• And how to avoid burning out in a reactive industry
  

If you manage social, run an agency, or build products for marketers, this episode will hit.

Most brands don’t need better content. They need better community instincts.

In this episode of Seen, Lach sits down with social strategist Cal Ritchie from Iris Worldwide to unpack what actually makes social work right now.

Cal started his career in community management and never lost touch with it. That foundation shapes everything he does, from big brand strategy to the smallest DM interaction.

Together, they talk about why community managers make better strategists, how “boring” brands can win on social, and why starting on social before big campaigns still feels wildly underused.

They cover humour as a creative weapon, hacking platform mechanics without losing your soul, why virality is more about compounding than lightning strikes, and how brands can earn a place in culture instead of just borrowing it.

There’s also a surprisingly deep crossover into music fandoms, hardcore scenes, AI weirdness, and why showing the messy process matters more than polished perfection.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social, the social media management platform built for teams who take socials seriously.

If you work in social, brand, content, or community, this one will hit.

You don’t need a hot take on everything, and forcing one might be what’s burning you out.

In this episode, Lach Bradford sits down with Gen Fricker to talk about creativity in the internet age, finding your voice before algorithms existed, and what it really means to build a career that lasts. From early Twitter and Triple J to stand-up comedy, touring, and content creation today, Gen shares the lessons you only learn by doing, and by failing publicly.

We talk about creative burnout, trusting the process, why nothing you make is ever wasted, the pressure to always be relevant, and how to protect yourself while still showing up honestly online. It’s a candid conversation about comedy, culture, and choosing longevity over noise.

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social — the social media management platform helping teams plan, publish, and distribute great ideas without turning creativity into a grind.

If you work in media, content, comedy — or you’ve ever felt stuck between ambition and burnout — this one’s for you.

Social media isn’t broken, we’re just forgetting the people.

In this episode of #seen, Lach sits down with Yasmin Cooke, Social Media & Content Manager at EMU Australia, to unpack what great social actually looks like today.

Yasmin leads social, content, PR, creators, UGC, and community for a global brand — and brings a refreshingly grounded, people-first perspective to strategy, storytelling, and scale.

They cover:

• Why connection beats trends every time

• How to balance data, gut feel, and creativity

• The underrated power of community management

• Repetition vs reinvention in content strategy

• Burnout, boundaries, and being “always on”

• Where AI helps — and where it kills the soul

If you manage social, content, or marketing — this one will hit close to home.

This episode is proudly brought to you by Sked Social.

Yazan Al Tamimi doesn’t do vanity metrics. He builds systems that last.

From dropping out of school at 15 in Jordan to becoming a founding member of Spotify MENA, Yazan has helped launch Spotify across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco and beyond — driving record-breaking engagement, viral cultural moments, and real business impact at scale.

In this episode of #seen, we unpack:

• Why the best social media managers are actually educators

• How Spotify separated organic, paid, and performance (and why shares + saves mattered more than followers)

• The balance between structure and chaos in creative teams

• What global brands consistently get wrong about local culture

• How to avoid burnout in an industry that never switches off

• Where AI actually helps (and where it absolutely doesn’t)

This episode is brought to you by Sked Social, the social media management platform built for teams who care about strategy, not just scheduling.

Most companies think they have a marketing problem.
Isaac Peiris will tell you they have a go-to-market problem.

In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Isaac Peiris, founder of Pistachio, to unpack why brands struggle to turn positioning into pipeline — and what to do about it.

Isaac has led growth at The Daily Aus (180k subscribers in 10 months), scaled Mamamia’s membership business to $170k+ MRR, and built GTM systems for a bunch of successful teams.
Across all of it, he’s seen the same issue: smart teams, strong products, fractured execution.

From broken positioning to the fame effect, this episode goes deep on what actually drives compounding growth — and why most brands completely miss it.

We cover:• What “fractured go-to-market” looks like inside a business• Why customer success is the most underrated growth engine• How to fix broken positioning (and the signs yours is cooked)• Sugar hits vs compounding systems — and why brands need both• Why your audience isn’t your customer (and why that’s a good thing)• The fame effect: building a distribution moat over time• Influencers vs ambassadors — who actually moves the needle• How to measure content beyond likes and impressions• What founders get wrong about narrative, sequencing and channels• The overlap between product management and growth (and why it matters)

If you work in social, content, marketing, growth or brand — this episode is a must-listen.

Presented by Sked Social — use code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off annual plans + a free 14-day trial.

Most brands obsess over “going viral.” Almost none know what to do after it happens.

In this episode of #seen — a podcast by Sked Social, Lachlan Bradford sits down with Josh Bailey, former TikTok insider and founder of CoCo, to unpack what brands actually get wrong about social.

Josh spent years inside TikTok watching the same mistakes play out again and again: chasing luck, copying trends, obsessing over reach, and ignoring the one thing that matters most — building content systems that create familiarity over time.

From long-form vs short-form to why authenticity is now a trap, this episode goes deep on what works, what doesn’t, and what every brand needs to rethink in 2025 and beyond.

We cover:
• Why going viral is overrated — and why the real work starts after it happens
• Consistency > luck: how the algorithm actually rewards creators
• How trends help established brands but hurt beginners
• The rise of episodic content and TikTok “TV shows”
• Why retention and watch time matter more than views
• How large brands block their own growth
• The trust gap in hiring full-time creators
• AI for structure, planning and creative clarity

If you work in social, content, marketing or brand — this episode is a must-listen.

Presented by Sked Social — use code 'SKEDBF50' for 50% off annual plans + a free 14-day trial.