Coffees and Content

I'm recording this one from my hotel room in Melbourne with about 20 minutes before I have to catch a flight - so this is a bite-size one, but it's a good one.
I just wrapped up a few days at the Social Summit and I'm leaving feeling so incredibly inspired that I had to hit record before I left. I had the privilege of hosting the final panel of the day alongside Monica Upton from Vestirsi, Lizzie Waley from Sunday Body, and former Aussie Bachelor Sam Wood - and the conversations that came out of that room are ones I'm still thinking about.
So I wanted to share a few of the biggest takeaways with you before they left my brain.
We got into the difference between having an audience and having a community, and why that distinction matters more than most people realise. We talked about what it actually looks like behind the scenes of building a business that's built to last. And I got really honest about something I said to my own team recently — that the only reason I know how to handle hard situations is because I've fallen on my face more times than I can count. You just don't always see it online.
This episode is equal parts recap, pep talk, and reminder to be really proud of what you are building.
In this episode I cover:
The real difference between an audience and a community and why it matters
What every panelist at the Social Summit had in common
Why the toughest moments in business are where the best entrepreneurs are made
Why I'm doubling down on community this year across everything I do
A reminder to slow down and celebrate how far you've come
Have a question? Click here to send it to me!
Stay Connected:
Website: www.coffeesandcontentpod.com
Instagram: @coffeesandcontentpod
Facebook Community: @coffeesandcontentpod
Substack: https://lorentomlinson.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: Coffees & Content
Have a marketing question? Email [email protected]
Loved this episode? Leave a review - it would mean the world!!
If this episode gave you a breakthrough moment, share your key takeaway on Instagram and tag @coffeesandcontentpod. Your insights might just shape a future episode.

Everyone is talking about AI right now. And honestly? A lot of it is noise. So I wanted to cut through it and share exactly what we are doing behind the scenes at the Social Collective - what's working, what we've learned, and where I draw a very firm line.
This is also the very first episode of a brand new monthly segment I'm launching called In Her Empire Era - a solo series where I pull back the curtain on what's really happening inside the business. The decisions we're making, the tools we're using, and what it actually looks like to build and grow in real time.
This month we're starting with AI - because it's the conversation I'm having with everyone right now and I refuse to gate keep it behind a paywall.
I'm sharing how my team and I use AI as a think tank, not a replacement for our brains, why I made it a non-negotiable rule that we think first and use AI second, and what I genuinely believe AI will never be able to replace no matter how advanced it gets.
In this episode I cover:
Why using AI to do your thinking for you is slowly eroding your brand
Exactly how we use AI at TSC ... and what we don't touch with it
How we went from three months to nail a client's voice down to one or two
The boundaries I've put around AI use within my team and why
What to protect and what to hand over when it comes to AI in your business
Have a question? Click here to send it to me!
Stay Connected:
Website: www.coffeesandcontentpod.com
Instagram: @coffeesandcontentpod
Facebook Community: @coffeesandcontentpod
Substack: https://lorentomlinson.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: Coffees & Content
Have a marketing question? Email [email protected]
Loved this episode? Leave a review - it would mean the world!!
If this episode gave you a breakthrough moment, share your key takeaway on Instagram and tag @coffeesandcontentpod. Your insights might just shape a future episode.

I am so excited about this one. I'm sitting down with the incredible Stephanie Lai - award-winning content creator, Kiwi entrepreneur now based in Sydney, founder of Besa Social, and honestly one of the most authentic people I've come across in this industry.
We got into everything ... and I mean everything.
Steph has been creating content since three months after Instagram hit the app store, built a travel following over years of showing up consistently before anyone was paying attention, and has quietly grown a marketing agency, a supplements brand, a matcha brand, and a tech company - all while staying completely true to who she is online.
This episode is for anyone who's ever wondered how long it actually takes to build something real, why authenticity isn't just a buzzword, and what it looks like to grow a business without burning yourself into the ground doing it.
In this episode we cover:
Why it took three solid years before Steph saw any real traction - and what kept her going
The reason she refused to merge her accounts even when an agent told her she was losing money
What the first six months of building Bea Social actually looked like
Why voice noting your community might be the most underrated thing you can do
Where Steph sees content creation heading in 2026 and why there is still absolutely a seat on the bus for you
LINKS & RESOURCES
Follow Steph → @stephanielai and @thetravelkid.nz
Follow me → @thesocialcollectiveofficial
Have a question? Click here to send it to me!
Stay Connected:
Website: www.coffeesandcontentpod.com
Instagram: @coffeesandcontentpod
Facebook Community: @coffeesandcontentpod
Substack: https://lorentomlinson.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: Coffees & Content
Have a marketing question? Email [email protected]
Loved this episode? Leave a review - it would mean the world!!
If this episode gave you a breakthrough moment, share your key takeaway on Instagram and tag @coffeesandcontentpod. Your insights might just shape a future episode.

I'm back with one of my favourite people, Amy Dickinson from the Social Summit, and now also the 1-800-CHATLINE podcast, because we've officially converted her to the podcasting world.
This one is a proper behind the scenes conversation. Amy and I are breaking down the marketing decisions we each made in 2025 that have had the biggest impact on where our businesses are today. No fluff, just the real stuff.
We're talking about what's actually driven ticket sales, how we've approached sponsorships and partnerships, why getting into the DMs is still one of the highest ROI things you can do, and how we've both built ecosystems around our businesses rather than just relying on one channel.
I'm also sharing what shifted for me when I finally handed the social collective's marketing over to my in-house team, and why that decision completely changed how I show up as a founder.
In this episode we cover:
Why capturing Instagram handles at events changed everything for Amy's ticket sales strategy
The DM approach that's driving more conversions than any ad spend
How to find aligned partnerships that actually pull their weight
What it looks like to build a personal brand alongside a business brand
Why putting your pricing on your website is one of the smartest things you can do
Have a question? Click here to send it to me!
Stay Connected:
Website: www.coffeesandcontentpod.com
Instagram: @coffeesandcontentpod
Facebook Community: @coffeesandcontentpod
Substack: https://lorentomlinson.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: Coffees & Content
Have a marketing question? Email [email protected]
Loved this episode? Leave a review - it would mean the world!!
If this episode gave you a breakthrough moment, share your key takeaway on Instagram and tag @coffeesandcontentpod. Your insights might just shape a future episode.

I'm pulling back the curtain on the launch of In Her Empire Era (a sold out, nearly 60-woman private cinema experience for women in business) and breaking down exactly how it happened with no ad spend and one launch email.
The short answer? Years of work. The long answer? This episode.
In this episode I cover:
Why most launches feel harder than they need to
What actually builds a sellout-worthy audience over time
Why alignment beats ad spend every single time
I'm also sharing the personal story behind why The Devil Wears Prada inspired the whole thing - including the week at New Zealand Fashion Week that completely changed the direction of my career.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Join the In Her Empire Era waitlist → thesocialcollective.co.nz/in-her-empire-era
Follow us on Instagram → @loren.thesocialcollective
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Leave a five star review - it helps more people find the show. 🖤
Have a question? Click here to send it to me!
Stay Connected:
Website: www.coffeesandcontentpod.com
Instagram: @coffeesandcontentpod
Facebook Community: @coffeesandcontentpod
Substack: https://lorentomlinson.substack.com/
Watch on YouTube: Coffees & Content
Have a marketing question? Email [email protected]
Loved this episode? Leave a review - it would mean the world!!
If this episode gave you a breakthrough moment, share your key takeaway on Instagram and tag @coffeesandcontentpod. Your insights might just shape a future episode.