Little Talks
Business & Finance
About
Sam Littlefield and Steve Roop chat agency and client happenings as well as cover digital marketing trends and news every Wednesday, live from Littlefield Studios in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Episodes
- Why dealers go rogue and what marketing can do about it
Dealer marketing can look really organized at the corporate level and still completely fall apart in the field. A portal gets built, assets get uploaded, launch emails go out… and then a dealer posts an off-brand phone photo five minutes l…
- Change is here
A lot of teams still talk about AI like it’s some far-off future conversation. But in reality, the shift is already happening, and fast. The more interesting question now is not whether the tools are improving. It’s what teams choose to do…
- The myth of the "quick win" in B2B marketing
Everybody loves a quick win, especially when revenue goals are staring you in the face. But in B2B marketing, the fastest-looking result is not always the most valuable one. Long sales cycles, budget timing, research-heavy purchases, and m…
- Simplifying complex product stories in B2B marketing
In B2B marketing, there’s a familiar disconnect: the people building the product and the people selling it often speak different languages. When specs and performance lead the story, buyers can drop off before they ever reach a decision. T…
- Why long-term partnerships outperform vendors
The word “vendor” gets tossed around a lot in the agency world, and if you’ve ever been in a purely transactional relationship, you know why it doesn’t feel great. You brief, they execute, they invoice and next time you’re starting from sc…
- How to generate content topic ideas that resonate with customers
One of the most common things we hear from brands thinking about engaging in a content program is, “we just don’t have that much to say.” And man, oh man ... We're here to tell you that’s just not true. The problem isn’t a lack of ideas or…
- Measuring the ROI of trade shows
Trade shows are expensive . Between booth space, travel, swag, staffing, and all the little costs that sneak up on you, it's not unusual for a single event to run well into five or six figures. And yet, when leadership asks "was it worth i…
- Why we love in-house marketing teams
There’s a moment every in-house marketing team knows. You look up at 6 p.m., your to-do list is longer than when you started, and the big strategic work still isn’t done. You were busy. Really busy. But doing what, exactly? That gap betwee…
- Everything you need to know about change management
Change is hard. It's always been hard. But the rate at which B2B marketers are being asked to adapt right now, juggling AI adoption, cross-functional alignment, proving ROI, and meeting digital buyers where they are, it is genuinely unlike…
- Do you view your agency as order takers or strategic partners?
Many businesses hire agencies to execute tasks: build a campaign, design an ad, launch a website. But the strongest agency relationships go beyond simple execution. A truly strategic agency sees itself as a partner in growth, focused on ou…
- Marketing in the age of AI whiplash
On this week's episode of Little Talks, we return to favorite topic: AI. In marketing, AI isn’t just moving fast, it can also be unstable. Tools launch, raise funding, and pivot in the same week. The hype cycle that once took years now tak…
- Beyond likes & views: Marketing signals that actually matter
Likes and views feel good, but they don’t pay the bills. Vanity metrics are easy to report and look great in a slide deck, but they’re tough to connect to revenue. On this episode of Little Talks, Sam and Roop discuss the real shift market…
- Big game, big ads, big money
It's Monday morning quarterback time! After the biggest football game in the world is over, it's time to discuss the marketing world's big game—the commercials. Roop, Sam and Claudia go through the highs and lows of this year's Big Game ad…
- So you're building a new website for your brand
Fresh off their new website launch, Grasshopper Mower's, Michael Simmon, joins Sam and Roop to discuss some of the things to consider when developing a new website for your brand. It's not all pretty pictures, designing a new site involves…
- Everything we know about OpenAI’s new ChatGPT ads
We touched on them last week with Chris Kizer, but in this episode, Sam and Roop dive a bit deeper into the specifics of what we know about OpenAI’s new ChatGPT ads. When are they rolling out? Who will see them? How much do they cost adver…
- Media & Analytics Director Chris Kizer joins the podcast and numbers start flying
All healed up and feeling great, our Media & Analytics Director, Chris Kizer, finally joins Sam and Roop to recap his stellar presentation (and learnings) from a MAGNET retreat that started the new year. Chris is a human calculator that br…
- Everybody hates AI
Our scheduled guest had to take a rain check, but fear not! Chris Kizer will be our guest next week as we discuss all things media heading into 2026. This week? You’re stuck with Roop and Sam again, but they have a topic we think most of y…
- We’re back
Sam and Roop return from a lengthy time off for the holidays, and are pumped and ready to go for the new year! After they chat about their Christmas and New Year celebrations (and give the unseasonably warm December weather the thumbs down…
- That's a wrap on 2025
For our last episode of the year, Sam and Roop take a look at Little Talks numbers, Spotify wrapped-style! Questions asked and answered: What was their total watch time on YouTube? Which month performed the best? What were their top topics…
- Trent-a-palooza IV: AI data, B2B e-commerce and big companies, small teams
In our penultimate episode of the year, annual podcast guest and friend Trent Guyer returns to talk about all our favorite topics: AI, e-commerce, and small teams doing big things. Being the Christmas season, of course gifts are exchanged…
- "The One Where They Talk About Zero-Click Search"
Only three episodes left for 2025, and as we head toward the end of the year, Sam and Roop chat about something that may at first seem like a major problem (but is really just another opportunity to get your content in front of your custom…
- Thankful
It’s a short but sweet episode of Little Talks this week as Sam and Roop reflect on the year and all they’re thankful for. It’s a short but sweet write up, too! : ) Have a great holiday weekend and we’ll see you next week. — Sam, Roop, Che…
- 'Tis the season for planning
This week on the podcast, Sam, Roop and Claudia discuss when the appropriate time to put up Christmas decorations is. Before Thanksgiving? After? Never? There are opinions, but of course whatever you have planned works. Speaking of plannin…
- OpenAI, PayPal, and the future of e-commerce
Sam and Roop fire up the mics for another episode of Little Talks to talk (what else?), AI. This week, they discuss OpenAI and PayPal's new partnership that could change how people shop online, turning ChatGPT into an AI-powered shopping m…
- Navigating OpenAI’s new ChatGPT-powered browser, Atlas
We're back with another AI-driven topic this week, agentic browsers. Specifically, after two weeks of using it, we give our thoughts on OpenAI's new Atlas browser. Agentic browsers (browsers with integrated AI agents that can autonomously…
- Are AEO / GEO new strategies, or just an evolution of SEO?
This week, Sam and Roop dive back into a hot topic, AI and SEO, to answer the question, “Is SEO for AI engines really something new?” Spoiler alert: AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) aren’t entirely…
- Top 3 marketing trends for 2026 (and yes, they involve AI)
Sam and Roop are back this week with a quick look ahead to 2026, where it’s pretty clear that the biggest marketing shifts will build on what defined 2025, AI-assisted tools becoming more sophisticated and in more widespread use. The diffe…
- The true value of partnering with an independent marketing agency
It's been a busy few weeks for the agency, that included client visits in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. This week, the gang is back together and recording for the first time in nearly a month! The topic? Why working with an independent market…
- New email marketing hotness from INBOUND
Wrapping up their learnings from HubSpot's INBOUND marketing conference in San Francisco earlier this month, Sam takes a breather while Claudia joins Roop on the mics once again to chat about email marketing. What's working? What's changin…
- Sam's back! From Paris with love (and AI talk)
Sam is back from his MAGNET (Marketing & Advertising Global Network) retreat in Paris, as fired up as he's ever been! He compares AI notes with Roop (still high from his INBOUND trip in San Francisco), specifically around AEO (Answer Engin…
- First impressions of HubSpot's new products
Sam's in Paris (France, not Texas) this week, so Claudia steps in to join Roop at the table for a "Claudcast" continuing to cover their recent trip to HubSpot's INBOUND marketing conference in San Francisco. This week's topic: HubSpot's ne…
- INBOUND 25: New location, new HubSpot products, same fantastic insights
On this week's episode of Little Talks, Roop and Claudia are back from HubSpot's INBOUND 25 marketing conference in San Fransisco, and boy oh boy do they have updates! Everything from new HubSpot products to a new marketing playbook for th…
- SEO, AI and the future of search
On this week's Little Talks we talk search. What it is, where it's going and how your brand can stay relevant in the age of AI SEO. AI is definitely changing the SEO playbook, but fortunately some of the same old tricks that have worked in…
- HubSpot's INBOUND 25 preview
It’s Roop’s favorite time of year—HubSpot’s INBOUND marketing conference is here! This year, the event moves from Boston to San Francisco, but the awesomeness remains the same. On this week’s episode of Little Talks , the gang shares some…
- B2B marketing "mythbusters"
On this episode of Little Talks, we tackle four common B2B marketing myths and set the record straight. First up is the idea that gated content is the only way to generate leads. While putting valuable resources behind a form can work, the…
- Marketing gut-checks: What's still true in 2025
On this week's episode of Little Talks we welcome back a frequent guest and friend, Mike Simmon from Grasshopper Mowers. Mike was in town from Kansas for his monthly HubSpot and CRM meeting with Roop, Chelsea, Claudia and Kendall and was k…
- The sound of your brand: Why audio identity matters in B2B
From catchy podcast intros to snappy TikTok snippets, this week the gang explores why sound design is still a hidden gem in the B2B world. Roop and Sam break down what makes a memorable sonic brand—like a signature melody or audio logo—and…
- Midwest marketing: Is there a flyover bias in our industry?
Sam is back this week to chat about being a marketing agency in the midwest. Is there a perceived bias for Midwest agencies compared to their larger city or costal counterparts? We discuss, as well as celebrate the strengths of Midwestern…
- Marketing to Gen Z: A first-person account
This week on Little Talks , Roop is joined by a surprise duo—Grasshopper Trent (VP of Marketing at Grasshopper Mowers) and his son Andrew. Trent usually pops in at the end of the year for Trent-a-palooza , but a quick trip to Tulsa to hand…
- Hiring Gen Z marketers: Culture clash or superpower?
On this week’s Little Talks we’re talkin’ about Gen Z, with some insight from one of our resident Gen Z voices in the office, Claudia! Claudia tells Sam and Roop about how purpose at work matters. A paycheck is great, sure, but waking up e…
- When is it time for a brand refresh?
Rebranding isn’t just for B2C. This week, Sam and Roop discuss when and why B2B brands should consider updating their look, messaging, or even name. From rebrand to refresh to repositioning, we go through the 'when' and the 'why' of the ma…
- Marketing and mental health
It’s Wellness Week at Littlefield Agency! Following our previous episode on work-life balance, we thought this is as good a time as any to dig into strategies for preventing burnout at work, especially in high-pressure B2B marketing roles.…
- This man eats, sleeps and breathes media
It was a real meeting of the minds at Littlefield Agency last week when we welcomed MAGNET Agency partners Chris Sullivan and Bauer Fichter from Media Thesis. Capping off an all-day summit around all things media, analytics and AI, Sam and…
- Let's talk client communication
It’s been a while, but Roop is BACK! Just in time for a busy week at Littlefield Agency. We’ve got people traveling to AI conferences, client meetings, and more. But that won’t stop Sam and Roop from bringing you a new episode of Little Ta…
- Celebrating 45 years of LA with David Littlefield
On this week’s episode of Little Talks, we’re celebrating 45 years of LA with our founder and chairman, David Littlefield. He’ll take us back to 1980, when "Littlefield Inc." began in his home in Stillwater, Oklahoma. We’ve had plenty of u…
- Has AI-based search already killed traditional search and SEO?
On this week's episode of Littlefield's Little Talks, Sam and Roop jump into a topic that's been heating up lately—AI-powered search. Have traditional search engines and SEO finally met their match? After decades of worrying about what pag…
- 50% genius, 50% guesswork: Welcome to A/B testing
On this week's episode of Little Talks, Roop is back from NYC and Brandon jumps back into the studio again to cover for a traveling Claudia. After a week off, Sam and Roop discuss A/B testing for various marketing efforts from display ads…
- AI is changing how personas are created
This week, Sam and Roop talk AI—a fan favorite topic—from a new angle: persona research and creation. What are personas? Personas are made-up characters that represent different types of customers, based on real data around things like the…
- Brand consistency across B2B touch points
Sam and Roop return from Easter break with a few shout outs and a great reminder topic—brand consistency across touch points. When it comes to building a strong B2B brand, consistency isn’t just a "“"nice to have"—it’s essential. From your…
- 20 years of creative change with Rocco
On this week's episode of Little Talks , Sam and Roop are joined by our Creative Director, Mike Rocco, who celebrates a career milestone this week—20 years at Littlefield! Rocco has seen it all, including some pretty seismic changes in how…