MAPPED OUT cover art

MAPPED OUT

MAPPED OUT

Written by: Lauren Loreto & Aurrie Hicks
Listen for free

About this listen

Ever feel like your marketing strategy and business plan is a maze of endless to-dos? MAPPED OUT is your GPS to breakthrough growth, minus the headaches. Think of us as your savvy road trip companions who've not only survived the marketing wilderness—we've mastered it.

Lauren and Aurrie here, battle-tested marketers who've built businesses from the ground up. We're ditching the fluff and corporate-speak to give you the real deal: strategies that actually work, stories from the trenches, and those "why didn't I think of that?" moments that'll transform your approach.

Every episode is like having coffee (or a stiff and needed drink) with that marketing friend who tells it straight, shares their secret weapons, and genuinely wants you to win. Whether you're dreaming up your next campaign or feeling stuck in the daily grind, consider this your official permission slip to simplify, amplify, and enjoy the ride. Buckle up—your marketing journey just got a whole lot more interesting.


© 2025 MAPPED OUT
Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Marketing Marketing & Sales
Episodes
  • Stop #22: Why the Smartest Funnels Start with a Quiz
    Dec 16 2025

    If you’ve been sitting on a quiz idea for months (or… 18 months 👀), this is your sign. Today, Lauren and Aurrie map out how to launch a quiz scrappy, use it as a data engine (not just a cute lead magnet), and build the “wings” after it’s already in the air. From results-first planning to routing logic, landing pages, email segmentation, and IG-era distribution (hello, ManyChat), this episode is your no-excuses quiz playbook.

    ✈️ GET THE FLIGHT DECK BREAKDOWN: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter

    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why the quizzes that win are the ones that actually get launched (messy action > perfect funnels)
    • Quiz types that convert
    • Simplifying language so beginners can answer (no “macro” talk if your audience is brand-new)
    • Where your quiz should live
    • What happens after the quiz: result pages, personas, and non-salesy CTAs that still convert & email segmentation 101
    • Retargeting + lookalikes: using quiz data beyond email (especially for e-comm)
    • Modern distribution ideas

    Timestamps

    • 2:17 – The perfectionism trap (especially for designers) + why you’ve gotta ship it
    • 4:14 – The #1 quiz unlock
    • 6:10 – Simplify the language or your quiz dies (aka “don’t lead with macros”)
    • 7:03 – E-comm vs service quizzes: product match vs assessment (and why both work)
    • 8:29 – Where to steal inspo: Interact’s industry examples (juice cleanses, real estate, relocation)
    • 12:40 – Routing logic without spiraling: scoring, branching, follow-the-path
    • 16:49 – “Close the loop” psychology + how to set expectations upfront (no scammy vibes)
    • 19:11 – Best practice: build a landing page on your site to house + promote the quiz
    • 20:38 – After-the-quiz strategy
    • 23:07 – Email automation + segmentation
    • 25:30 – Paid ads + retargeting
    • 27:05 – List hygiene + re-engagement: quizzes as a “come back” hook

    Navigator’s Resources (mentioned)

    • Interact (quiz builder + examples by industry + lead capture + logic tools) Use our link to get started: https://get.tryinteract.com/jkx44i3di07w
    • ChatGPT (help with scoring + routing logic planning)
    • ManyChat (DM-based distribution: “comment X and we’ll send the quiz”)
    • Pinterest placements (quiz visibility + evergreen discovery)
    • Meta Ads (retarget quiz-takers + build lookalike audiences)
    • Landing page embed strategy (quiz housed on your site for better ownership + conversion control)

    Meet Your Co-Pilots

    Lauren Loreto — Founder, Brand Good Time®
    Expert in content marketing and web design
    Website: brandgoodtime.com • Instagram: @brandgoodtime

    Aurrie Hicks — Founder, Hopson Rae
    Expert in digital content and brand strategy
    Website: hopsonrae.com • Instagram: @hopsonrae

    🎧 Listen & Subscribe

    Follow MAPPED OUT wherever you get your podcasts.

    P.S. Want the step-by-step version, templates, and links we referenced?
    Join The Flight Deck: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Stop #21: Josh Haynam on Building a 100M-Lead Product, 12 Years of Bootstrapping, and Why Speed Beats Perfection
    Dec 9 2025

    Every industry has one person quietly powering the success of thousands of brands—and in the quiz-funnel world, that person is Josh Haynam, Co-Founder & CEO of Interact, the quiz builder behind 100M+ leads, 1.3B quiz views, and some of the biggest brands and creators online.

    Bootstrapped, profitable, and still founder-led after 12 years, Interact has survived four waves of VC-backed competitors—not because it had the most features, but because Josh bet everything on relationships, product clarity, and human psychology.

    In this episode, Josh shares how he built a tech company that refuses to chase shiny objects… and still wins.

    ✈️ GET THE FLIGHT DECK BREAKDOWN: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter

    In this episode, Josh walks us through:

    ⚡ How Interact survived—and outperformed—VC competitors for 12 years

    ⚡ The psychology behind quizzes (and why we’re now in the “Instagram Age”)

    ⚡ Why the best founders move fast—and why perfection is killing your results

    ⚡ How Interact scaled to $3.3M ARR with only 9 team members

    ⚡ What 8,000+ customer conversations taught him about modern marketing

    ⚡ What’s coming next for Interact’s design updates


    ⏰ TIMESTAMPS

    3:38 – Competing with VC-backed copycats and why Interact chose relationships over features
    8:23 – The real history of quizzes (yes, it starts in 1700s Irish pubs)
    12:41 – Why agency partners, copywriters, and designers (“the Rich Pauls”) became Interact’s growth engine
    16:11 – The shiny objects they did chase—and why they walked away
    17:46 – What “ROI” actually looks like for quiz funnels
    21:09 – What Josh is learning from today’s top creators generating 140K+ leads
    27:18 – Building a no-ego team and the role of coaching inside the company
    30:30 – Why quarterly offsites changed everything for their remote culture
    33:06 – What’s coming in Interact’s design refresh
    35:01 – Where quizzes are headed in the next 5 years
    41:00 – Why founders over 30 struggle with speed—and how to fix it
    48:29 – Josh’s 90-Day Marketing Playbook if he were starting Interact today
    52:48 – HIGH / LOW / STOW

    🔗 CONNECT WITH JOSH HAYNAM

    • LinkedIn: Josh Haynam
    • Interact: tryinteract.com

    👩‍✈️ MEET YOUR CO-PILOTS

    Lauren Loreto

    Founder, Brand Good Time
    Instagram: @brandgoodtime
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurenloreto

    Aurrie Hicks

    Founder, Hopson Rae
    Instagram: @hopsonrae
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/aurriehicks

    🎧 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE

    Follow Mapped Out wherever you get your podcasts.

    Show More Show Less
    59 mins
  • Stop #20: How to Build a Founder-Led Newsletter People Actually Read (and Share)
    Nov 11 2025

    Every big brand starts in the trenches—and sometimes the most powerful growth lever is sitting in your inbox. Today, Lauren and Aurrie react to their chat with Ari Murray and go all-in on founder-led newsletters: quick history, what’s working now, and a simple way to structure a newsletter people actually look forward to.

    ✈️ GET THE FLIGHT DECK BREAKDOWN: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter

    In this episode, we cover:

    • A (very) fast history of newsletters and why the “personal blog energy” is back
    • The #1 rule: your newsletter must solve a specific problem (not “updates”)
    • How to create a predictable format readers recognize on sight
    • Founder tone without the “dear diary” trap: storytelling that serves the reader
    • Tools, workflows, and idea capture so you never face a blank page
    • Where Substack fits (and when to start there)

    Timestamps

    • 0:48 – Why we’re obsessed with newsletters (and why this pairs with a Season 2 tactical episode)
    • 3:04 – The quick history: from Roman “daily acts” to Substack’s blog-era revival
    • 6:38 – ROI, owned channels, and where email still wins for both e-comm and services
    • 8:42 – Start here: define the problem your newsletter solves (real examples)
    • 11:22 – Format > vibes: building a predictable structure your audience can scan
    • 14:10 – Lauren’s format teardown (campaign breakdowns, “second bests,” poll, light CTA)
    • 16:21 – Aurrie’s format teardown (cultural tie-ins + signature recipe closer)
    • 18:46 – Brand voice without oversharing: micro-stories that pull weight
    • 23:00 – The capture system: docs, notes, Slack to self, saved IG folders
    • 26:55 – Substack as a no-friction starting line (and why “messy action” wins)
    • 27:35 – What’s next: list growth ideas and a tease for our quiz-powered episode

    Your Mapped Out Moment (homework)

    Audit your newsletter (or the one you’re about to start):

    1. Problem: What specific problem does it solve for readers? Write one sentence.
    2. Name/Promise Match: Does the title clearly signal that problem?
    3. Format: Lock a repeatable skeleton (e.g., Hook → Deep Dive → Second Bests → Wildcard → Quick CTA).
    4. Hook & Shareability: What’s the forward-worthy angle this week (story, hot take, or “steal this” template)?
    5. Friction-free Setup: Pick your platform (Substack is great to start) and set up a running idea dump (Doc/Notes/Slack).

    Navigator’s Resources (mentioned)

    • Substack (easy start + built-in discovery)
    • A simple capture stack: Google Doc + Notes app + “DM to self”/Slack channel
    • Reader poll at the end of each send (tiny habit, big signal)

    Meet Your Co-Pilots

    Lauren Loreto — Founder, Brand Good Time®
    Expert in content marketing and web design
    Website: brandgoodtime.com • Instagram: @brandgoodtime

    Aurrie Hicks — Founder, Hopson Rae
    Expert in digital content and brand strategy
    Website: hopsonrae.com • Instagram: @hopsonrae

    🎧 Listen & Subscribe

    Follow MAPPED OUT wherever you get your podcasts—and don’t miss the next stop in Season 3 as we keep unpacking the real-world playbooks modern brands are using to grow.

    P.S.

    Want the step-by-step version, templates, and links we referenced?

    Join The Flight Deck: www.mappedoutpod.com/newsletter

    Show More Show Less
    29 mins
No reviews yet