Unless you've managed to completely avoid the news, it's a big election season. With anything political, especially in the last few years, it's been challenging for some business owners to figure out where and how to to share their views as they market their businesses.

Political ad spending is trending around $11.07 billion in 2026, up 21.4% from the last midterms, which is driving ad spend up for every other business. Staying quiet or neutral is sending a message but it might not be the one you want.

This episode covers how to market your online business through a hot button election time while sharing your values in a way that feels right for you. Let's be real, it's going to look different for everyone.

You'll hear:

• Why spending in up now and what it means for you as you market your business online
• Why so many people avoid the news, beyond the obvious reasons, and what that means for your business ads
• Why staying neutral and being quiet about political things is BS
• How values impact the trust your clients have in your business especially with digital products
• 6 tips for sharing your opinion to figure out your comfort level

Your audience needs to hear from you. Share how you feel, make it personal, from the heart, they want to know you, it is literally why they are on your page and in your email community.

Ready to build the learning side of your business and launch your digital product ecosystem? The Digital Product Infrastructure Audit is the place to start. Link on show site.

Read more about this topic and more on Build Without the BS, the blog behind the podcast.

Election Day is November 3, 2026. Check your polling place, educate yourself on local issues, make a plan to vote early if you can!

Thank you for listening!

You know you don't HAVE to run a Black Friday sale, right? It is not in the unwritten online business owner handbook. Most shoppers plan to buy well ahead of Black Friday but that doesn't mean you need to rush to throw a sale together or participate at all. If you do want to run a sale, there is one type that might work best. A quick one.

In this episode, we are talking about why you don't have to run a Black Friday sale just because everyone else is and how to figure out if this is the right time to run a promo for your business.

You'll hear:

• What the buyer behavior research is showing for 2026 - It's not buy more.
• How girl math factors into the sale
• Flash sales vs. the long sale
• Running a sale with digital products
• Black Friday vs. an after Christmas sale
• 3 questions to ask before you jump on offering a discount

Black Friday is your choice, never a requirement for your business. It is your business! Everyone else running a promo is not the reason to run one.

Not sure if you should offer a bundle or an upgrade on your product suite or if you have a product suite? That's why we offer a Digital Product Infrastructure Offer. We look at what should be a digital product in your business and what is better as a live offer.

Read more in our blog, Build Without the BS, the blog behind the podcast. Links on the show site.

Thank you for listening!

Business owner burnout is measurable and has been a topic we've talked about before but there's something about the climate lately. I don't know if it's the news stories, cost of living, stress or what but business owners are feeling it. One thing to remember is any sort of funk you are feeling in your business is not a personal failure. It can be backed up by data.

This shorter episode shares some of that data and why it is important to take a break when the world around us feels heavy.

You'll hear:

• Why staying in your lane and ignoring what's happening around you isn't possible as a business owner
• The 2026 small business owner burnout data
• Why rising costs and inflation are hitting harder
• How this impacts your business and what to do about it or not
• Why building digital products gives you options when things feel like too much

If the last week felt like too much, you're not alone and you aren't doing it wrong. You're paying attention to the world around you. And that's what makes you a great business owner. It's probably why your clients love working with you!

When you are ready for some options and outside eyes on what in your business needs attention now and what can wait, book your Digital Product Infrastructure Audit. Link on show site.

Remember to take care of yourself especially as we head into the busy holiday season!

Thank you for listening to Katy Calls BS

AI can knock out your digital product in seconds, we know that. Some creators will give you a prompt to do just that. It can't design a learning experience that gets someone results. It doesn't bring the judgement and experience that you have to the table or screen.

This episode breaks down the split between what AI speeds up and what you need to hire an instructional desire for or at least spend some time designing instruction.

You'll hear:

• Why most "AI plus course creation" content comes from marketers, not instructional designers or learning experience designers and why it matters
• Where AI speeds up your work and what you need to keep for yourself
• Why fast and good are not the same skill, the research backs this up!
• What happens to you, the business owner, your audience, and the quality of your product when you skip the design part

If you've ever thought you can skip hiring a specialist and hand your digital product ecosystem to AI, listen to this first. Trust me, I have a degree in instructional design and development and a certificate in AI skills.

Ready to take the next step and build your digital product ecosystem? Book your Digital Product Infrastructure Audit. This is a deep dive into your business to give you custom next steps so you know what to build for your specific business.

Check out Build Without the BS, the blog behind the podcast for more!

Thanks for listening to Katy Calls BS

I guess I can see the appeal but it's not for service business owners. I can tell what is, white label rights. Master resell rights promise a shortcut to a digital product business but there are hidden things that a lot of people don't talk about.

This episode breaks down why MRR shortcuts don't hold up for service-based business owners. We also talk about what master resell rights really are compared to private label rights and white label rights.

You'll hear:

• Reasons why master resell rights is not it and what it means for you as a business owner
• How the pitch pulls you in and rage baits me every time
• What you can build and how to build it
• Owning vs. renting your digital products

If you've ever been tempted by the take this this template and make it yours pitch, this episode is for you. The fast track isn't always what it seems and you know I love to call BS on it.

Curious how you can take your files from digital clutter to digital product ecosystem? Book a Digital Product Infrastructure Audit and I'll show you! Link is in the show bio.

Don't forget to read this week's blog post on Build Without the BS.

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AI isn't going anywhere, we know that. AI can make your content production faster, business tasks more efficient, and it can make your business forgettable.

Research shows it can make your thinking weaker too. But how do we use it without losing our brand voice?

I can't tell you how many conversations I've had recently about this which is why it needed to be an episode. So many responses of "but can't AI just do this now?" I know we've had other AI episodes but this one hits different.

You'll hear:

• Why "but AI can do this" is the wrong argument and what it's hiding
• The cost of a generic AI business
• What marketing monoculture is and why AI search interfaces are a thing we need to know about
• How an AI takeover happens for a small business owner and how to say no thanks
• AEO basics, I mean really basic
• An AI-Resistant Pledge

I use AI regularly in my business and am a fairly tech savvy person. I use it to help with a lot of tasks in my business. The key is deciding, on purpose, what it's allowed to touch and what stays yours.

If you want an outside look at how your business is using AI and how to build an AI-resistant digital product suite, the Digital Product Infrastructure Audit can help. Book on show site.

Check out Build Without the BS, the blog behind the podcast.

Do you remember how using AI was a competitive edge in 2023? In 2026, it's the baseline. But isn't that just the norm for business owners trying to keep up with everything? We've seen the rise, the chaos, and now the settle where we are all kind of tired of the AI slop.

The service business owners finding lasting success in an AI world continue to be the ones pairing it with real judgement, not the ones using their 2023 strategy.

This episode breaks down whether you are stuck in your 2023 AI strategy, how you can update what you are doing, and what is happening in this wild space we are working in.

You'll hear:

• Why "I use AI" is not it anymore
• The things AI can and can't do for your business
• What is AI-resistant value and how do you add it to your business
• Five places you should never use AI in your business
• The must have AI updates for your service business

I'm not an AI expert and I don't claim to be but I do have a Google AI Essentials Certificate. I also have, like many other business owners, been using AI in my business.

If you want an outside, honest look at where you can use AI in your business especially with digital products, book your Digital Product Infrastructure Audit.

Be sure to check out Build Without the BS, the blog behind the podcast to dive deeper into this week's episode topic.

You can find Katy on IG or on Miller Social.

Don't worry, freebies aren't going anywhere, but treating them like your whole digital product strategy is not it. Most freebies don't convert to paying clients and now we are competing with AI which generates the same free information in seconds.

But you know what AI can't do? Apply your years of experience to someone's business. This episode covers the real to paid conversation including what belongs on the free side of your business and the paid side.

You'll hear:

• Why list size, downloads, and followers don't mean that much for this conversation
• How AI has changed the freebie game for good and what you can do about it
• The difference between information (free) and judgement (paid)
• Three questions to run your freebies through
• Why more freebies aren't converting your audience

Your email list, follower count, and download numbers don't sustain your business, your revenue does.

It's time to stop relying on your freebies and start thinking about a strategy for your digital products. Book your Digital Product Infrastructure Audit to map out your plan. Link in show bio.

Be sure to check out Build Behind the BS, the blog that dives deeper into the episode topic on our website.

Connect with Katy on IG @katycallsbs and @themillersocial