Marketing Mistakes That Trigger FTC Investigations (and How to Avoid Them)
Discover why "everyone else is doing it" could cost you millions—and how to navigate the FTC’s aggressive stance on marketing compliance.In this highlight episode, Emma Rainville and Ryan Poteet of Gordon Reese break down dangerous misconceptions about marketing regulations, influencer disclosures, and subscription billing practices, highlighting hidden risks that marketers frequently overlook.Sign up to the Visionary Vault for every roadmap, tools, and resources that we drop in every episode. FOR FEE! https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault(07:20) Why common marketing practices might still land you in serious legal trouble.(13:45) The critical elements of clear disclosures that protect against FTC enforcement.(22:30) Real-world examples of compliant influencer promotions (and costly mistakes).(29:55) Why truthful claims can still be considered deceptive.(35:15) The "grandma test": a simple method to gauge your marketing’s legality.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vaultGet in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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30:57
Why People Buy: It’s Not Price, It’s Energy
What is the real cost of indecision? This highlight episode breaks down risk, ops, and the rise of experiential buying. In this Special Ops highlight drop, Emma pulls the sharpest insights from two elite operators: Perry Belcher and Jason Fladlien. Together they dissect the collapse of recorded information, rising decision fatigue, and how AI, trust, and fulfillment are reshaping the sales and ops playbook.Buying a car can be tricky, from car care to car insurance, but it doesn't have to be. It's the same with business success, this is why we make these episode to pull the curtain on what it really takes to make a thriving business, whether it's care sales, concert tickets or digital products. You name it, and we unravel the game.We everyone enjoyed these recent highlight episode installments.Watch out for new episodes coming soon!As always, we invite you to sign up to our Visionary Vault—where you can download all the tools and books, and hacks that will help you scale your business. All for free! https://specialopspodcast.com/visiona... We Cover:(00:00) Why Recorded Info is Valueless — Perry opens by comparing recorded content to rotting bananas, explaining the experience premium.(02:18) Decision Fatigue and Influencer Trust — How too many choices drive consumers to follow authoritative voices who simplify decisions.(04:57) Concerts vs Digital Content — People pay $600 to watch a dot on a stadium stage and what that reveals about belonging and experience economics.(08:03) Why Risk Reversal Must Include Energy — Perry details why most marketers over-index on money-back guarantees while ignoring energy risk.(10:12) Conditional Coaching Offers — A breakdown of how layered unlocks protect margin while rewarding engaged customers.(14:09) Fladlien on Fulfillment Risk — Jason emphasizes that risk reversal only works if operations can deliver the promise.(16:45) The Marketing-Ops Handoff — When ops fails to support the pitch, the whole funnel crumbles, here’s how to prevent it.(19:00) Future-Proof Offers in the AI Age — What Belcher and Fladlien are investing in now to hedge against commoditized info products.Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn:...
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20:59
Marketing Mistakes That Trigger FTC Investigations (and How to Avoid Them)
Discover why "everyone else is doing it" could cost you millions—and how to navigate the FTC’s aggressive stance on marketing compliance.In this highlight episode, Emma Rainville and Ryan Poteet of Gordon Reese break down dangerous misconceptions about marketing regulations, influencer disclosures, and subscription billing practices, highlighting hidden risks that marketers frequently overlook.Sign up to the Visionary Vault for every roadmap, tools, and resources that we drop in every episode. FOR FEE! https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault (07:20) Why common marketing practices might still land you in serious legal trouble. (13:45) The critical elements of clear disclosures that protect against FTC enforcement. (22:30) Real-world examples of compliant influencer promotions (and costly mistakes).(29:55) Why truthful claims can still be considered deceptive.(35:15) The "grandma test": a simple method to gauge your marketing’s legality.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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32:13
Why Money Is Like Oxygen And You Never Noticed!
You can have the perfect strategy, but if you screw up the timing, or your ego gets in the way, you’ll blow the entire thing!In this highlights episode of Special Ops, Emma brings together some of the sharpest founder insights on liquidity, decision-making, and the dangerous mindset shifts that sabotage scale. From chasing an inflated valuation to deploying cash too early, this conversation unpacks what happens after the exit or when you miss the window entirely.You’ll hear real talk on M&A strategy, wealth psychology, and why $3–5M is the only money you really need. Plus, the behavioral patterns that creep in once you feel unstoppable and how to avoid becoming your own liability.Remember to go sign up to our Visionary Vault—where you can download all the tools and books, and hacks that will help you scale your business. All for free! https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault (0:00) The $65M temptation vs. cashing out too late(1:48) “Forever money”: how $3–5M can buy peace, not jets(3:22) Why fearlessness after exit makes you sharper—but also dangerous(5:09) The biggest mistake: deploying capital before you’re ready(6:44) Non-renewable money vs. renewable wealth: the latte test(8:15) Liquidity as leverage: the day a $10M opportunity needed $1M—fast(9:58) Founder ego, overconfidence, and the psychological blind spot(11:30) Functional chaos: the wealthy founder with a broken internal world(13:00) Market research through empathy: Nick’s method acting approach(14:45) Messaging transformation: how inside-out clarity drove real scaleGet in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
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Can You Say That in an Ad? Limited-Time Lies, Testimonial Traps, and the Real FTC Rules | Marketing on Trial
Limited-time offers. Income claims. Celebrity testimonials. What if everything your funnel is built on is legally shaky—and you don’t even know it?In this special highlights edition of Marketing on Trial, hosts Emma Rainville and Ryan Poteet compile the most impactful moments from recent episodes—bringing together the sharpest insights on deceptive marketing practices, legal blind spots, and the FTC's evolving standards for 2025.Whether it’s the real meaning behind “limited-time only,” what makes a testimonial compliant, or how AI and automation are changing enforcement, this episode distills the no-BS legal strategies every marketer should know. It’s fast-paced, tactical, and packed with the kind of clarity that keeps your business safe as you scale.Sign up to the Visionary Vault for every roadmap, tools, and resources that we drop in every episode. FOR FEE! https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault (0:00) Can something literally true still be deceptive?(1:32) What the FTC considers “reasonable consumer understanding”(3:18) Why “limited-time only” offers might land you in legal trouble(5:40) Creative bonuses, rotating product designs, and compliant urgency(7:05) MyPillow, repeat sales, and the problem with false discounts(8:30) How FTC regulation and enforcement has evolved over the last decade(10:01) Income, health, and testimonial claims: what the FTC wants in 2025(12:14) What “typical results” really means and how to prove it(14:10) Deregulation myths, RFK hype, and why compliance still matters(15:30) How AI is reshaping enforcement and why no funnel is invisibleExplore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru
Welcome to Special Ops, the tactical business podcast designed to help you grow your company through action, not words.
Hosted by seasoned entrepreneur Emma Rainville.
In each episode, Emma share strategies she used in her businesses to overcome revenue growth challenges, increase profit margins, and build leadership teams that run day-to-day business operations without you, as the CEO/founder, getting involved.
Each episode is designed around a free downloadable playbook to help you execute, which you can download for free at https://specialopspodcast.com.
Hit play on the most recent episode, and subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or YouTube, and take your business to new heights.
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