The New Rules of Marketing, Building an Audience, and Digital Entrepreneurship in 2026

Entrepreneurs are rushing to incorporate AI into their workflow and marketing. But modern research warns us against this. In this episode, digital entrepreneur and bestselling author Ryan Levesque joins Natalie to break down why audiences are rejecting automation. He also explains why mid-tier offers are losing their profitability, which channels to build your audience on in 2026, and why constantly pursuing business growth comes at a cost. In this episode, Natalie and Ryan discuss: (01:37) Are $3K Offers Dead? (07:49) The Key Driver of Digital Marketing Success in 2026 (11:38) Why Storytelling and In-Person Events Are So Impactful (17:33) Outsourcing Copywriting to AI is a HUGE Mistake! (23:46) Where AI Actually Belongs in Your Workflow (26:04) Understanding the Right Size for Your Business (33:55) The Lifestyle Changes Startup Founders Need to Make (39:25) The #1 Platform For Building an Audience That Converts (45:33) Why Evergreen Content is Losing Potential for Virality (48:55) The Last Competitive Advantage in the Age of AI (52:39) When to Resist the Temptation to Scale Ryan Levesque is a 7-time Inc. 5000 CEO & Founder and two-time #1 national bestselling author. He’s generated over $100M in revenue and has successfully sold two of his companies. His work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and NBC News. Today, he serves as a Strategic Advisor to multiple businesses and writes a weekly email newsletter, The Digital Contrarian, offering unconventional business wisdom to 100,000+ subscribers. Sponsored By: Fora Travel - Visit⁠⁠⁠ foratravel.com/bossbabe⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn how to turn your love of trip planning into a business. FreshBooks - Get FreshBooks for less than $3 a month for your first four months at⁠ ⁠FreshBooks.com/podcast⁠⁠. Faire - Sign up today and get 50% off your first wholesale order, up to $100 at⁠ ⁠faire.com/bossbabe⁠⁠. AG1 - Save 20% on your first subscription order of AG1 Next Gen or AG1 Pro at⁠ ⁠⁠⁠drinkAG1.com/bossbabe⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Hostinger - Go to⁠ ⁠Hostinger.com/bossbabe⁠⁠ and use code BOSSBABE for 10% off. Resources Mentioned: ⁠Ryan’s Article, “The Shape of Enshittification”⁠ ⁠Ryan's Book, Return to Real⁠ ⁠Ryan's Newsletter, The Digital Contrarian⁠ Connect with Ryan: ⁠Website⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ Connect with Natalie: ⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Website⁠ ⁠YouTube⁠ ⁠Natalie’s Book, The Freedom-Based Business Method⁠ digital marketing, AI marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, AI for business, content marketing, Ryan Levesque, Natalie Ellis, Return to Real, digital marketing strategy, email marketing strategy, marketing trends 2026, AI marketing strategy, content strategy, social media strategy, personal branding, storytelling marketing, marketing automation, online business, audience growth, email list building, creator marketing, human marketing, business growth, digital marketing podcast