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I have a BIG announcement for you today.
But first, let’s set the scene with a true story from 2016:
Some of my earliest memories of learning copywriting are my “rubber ball walks”.
The idea came from Tim Ferriss, who — somewhere, I forget where — recommended going for walks where you bounce a tennis ball.
(Apparently it woke you up, or improved your concentration, or something. I don’t know. All I know is that in 2016 I was a Tim Ferriss fanboy and if the man told me to do anything — even something totally socially unacceptable like drink red wine with breakfast every day — I’d do it. That is a COMPLETELY made up example that TOTALLY did not happen in real life EVER btw. Also I don’t do it anymore.)
Anyway … I thought it sounded cool.
And so, in 2016, for months I would do these “rubber ball walks” where I’d bounce a rubber ball on my way to and from the local McDonald’s, where I would set up my laptop and pitch for jobs on Upwork from the sticky unwiped tables.
(#GlamorousOriginStories)
Sometimes I would mistime a bounce, and the ball would go bouncing onto the road … into the traffic.
I think that may actually be how I ended up losing the ball, come to think of it 🤔
BUT!
On these walks, there was this podcast I would always listen to called:
“Psych Insights
For Modern Marketers”
It was hosted by the legendary copywriter John Carlton and his fellow “A-List“ copywriter Kevin Rogers … and I LOVED it.
I would DEVOUR this podcast on my “rubber ball walks”, back and forth from McDonald’s, as I listened to Kevin and John discuss the intricacies of salesmanship … persuasion … writing … entrepreneurship … and life and business in general.
Many of the lessons from this podcast stuck in my head for years.
Well…
Earlier this year, something happened which I never would have dreamed possible.
But to tell the story…
I’ll hand over to Kevin Rogers, who today shared this tale in his Copy Chief community:
February 12th…
That’s the day I introduced John Carlton to Daniel Throssell.
“Never heard of him,” John said the first time I asked.
“I think you’ll like what he’s doing. Or, hate it,” I told him. “But, you’re a big influence on him, and he’s one of the few who taps the spirit of your work in his own.”
Alas, the meeting was set.
John came out swinging, as you might expect.
“You live in Oz, huh?” (John’s nickname for Australia)
“How old are you?”
“Jeez, I hate you already.”
“You’re a big God guy, huh? What’s that about?”
“FOUR kids! You sure you’re not Catholic?”
A good ten or fifteen minutes went by before Daniel could do anything more than explain himself, let alone express his gratitude for all the wisdom and inspiration he’d soaked up from John over the years.
By the end of the hour-long meeting, a line of mutual respect was established, and the seeds of what’s become a genuine friendship were set in soil.
The three of us have been meeting weekly ever since. (Daniel even showed up the morning after his wife gave birth to his most recent child. “I’d be loath to miss our call,” he explained.)
It’s been a joy for me to watch this relationship evolve. John’s become as big a fan of Daniel as he is John’s, reading, and often referencing his emails on the calls. Daniel grills John about his thinking on marketing concepts, how he comes up with hooks, and his writing process. And me, in my happy role as the “bridge builder” and relentless advocate for creatives everywhere.
Every week, we riff, rant, and reprimand one another the way only true friends can.
Three generations of marketing and copywriting leaders, reporting what we see, reiterating what we know, and examining what’s working now in our beloved world of Direct Response.
The simple theme of the show, though, isn’t marketing, or how to “crush” anything (I’m quite sure we’ve never used that word once)… the theme of the show is:
Salespeople Lead Better Lives.
The street-savvy psychology of persuading people to do what’s best for them.
Good news for us all: These calls are recorded!
Better news: They’ll be made available, for free, in our new podcast…
…huh?
Podcast?
Oh, right.
That’s the news I wanted to break to you.
Because since that first meeting … each week, Kevin Rogers, John Carlton and I have been collaborating on a NEW project called:
“Psych Insights For Modern Marketers:
The 3-Generation Edition”
(Or “3G”, as we’ve been calling it)
That’s right…
This is an ALL-NEW take on the original podcast, updated for 2025, and now featuring a fresh, young, Australian voice.
It is, of course, a dream come true to be not only featured alongside two of my heroes and inspirations … but actually co-hosting a podcast I used to learn copywriting from as a newbie.
And now…
This podcast is LIVE and available to YOU,
FREE OF CHARGE.
There are literally HOURS of wisdom on copywriting, salesmanship, business, relationships, and life, from three leaders in the copywriting world, available to ANYONE to listen to, without paying a cent.
Even better:
John Carlton himself is penning all the episode descriptions.
Here’s a taste of the first episode’s description:
Episode 1: “An Urgent Dispatch From The Front Lines Of Direct Response Advertising: Please Listen Immediately.”
Welcome to the most unique podcast in the entire business world. Three wildly different generations of copywriting and marketing legends – John Carlton (the geezer), Kevin Rogers (proud Gen Xer), and Daniel Throssell (the young buck)– join forces to answer the burning questions now upsetting everyone out there trying to make a reasonable fortune.
First, though, get up to speed in this episode with some deep insight on critical “get moving now” tools for any copywriter, entrepreneur, or biz owner…
… including the whacky psychology behind making the sale… how to navigate your own half-zombied-out “creative flow state”… the weird and colorful stagecraft that fuels the best writers… the importance of mentorship (even if you never meet them)… and how integrity and ethics will guide you through the bullshit piling up higher and higher in markets today.
Yes, it’s a lot, and yes, you’re gonna love every minute of this ‘cast.
These guys are serious about helping you get your act together, blasting through all incoming obstacles, and thriving in your career. No matter what AI or the competition or your own freaked-out lizard brain throws at you.
This episode lays down the gauntlet… and you’ll never find a better group to follow if you love making the Big Bucks in business. It’s nearly a freaking century of experience and wisdom, all packed into a tidy, magnificently entertaining podcast.
It’s so good 🤤
Each of us sees this as a “legacy project” — a way to give back to an industry that has given so much to each of us.
And while it might sound a bit grandiose … quite frankly, you are lucky to be alive at the short, fleeting moment in copywriting history when the copywriting careers of John Carlton, Kevin Rogers and Daniel Throssell have all intersected.
There will, quite literally, never be a moment like this again.
And we have seized upon it … this never-to-be-repeated slice of history … to create this podcast for YOU.
Again, it’s totally free.
Unlike literally everything else I sell, I’m not making a cent from this podcast right now. (I mean hey, I’d like to, but I’m not.) Nor do I really think it’s going to be a huge lead-gen source for me. (We’re not kidding ourselves, we’re hardly the Joe Rogan show here.)
But I wanted to create something iconic … something that will last … something that will, maybe, inspire some other rookie copywriter out there, currently walking to and from their local McDonald’s, bouncing a cheap rubber ball as they listen to our advice.
This show is my gift — our gift — to you, the copywriter.