SmartBug on Tap
Welcome to SmartBug on Tap—your go-to podcast for actionable marketing insights, thought leadership, and expert strategies to elevate your brand’s success. Hosted by the team at SmartBug Media, each episode features engaging conversations with industry leaders and SmartBug experts, tackling topics from creative alignment and strategic planning to leveraging tools like HubSpot for enterprise success.
Whether you’re a marketing leader, a strategist, or a HubSpot power user, this podcast delivers practical advice you can apply right away. Tune in for stories of innovation, best practices, and SmartBug’s unique approach to solving complex marketing challenges—served straight from the source.
All Episodes
Is It Time to Fire Your ATS? What HubSpot Can—and Can’t—Do for Staffing Firms
In staffing, your applicant tracking system (ATS) may feel like both a lifeline and a limitation. It’s great at storing resumes and ensuring compliance—but does it actually help you nurture candidates, align with marketing, or forecast sales? In this episode, host Alexandra Whitmore is joined by Abigail Allen, SVP of Sales at SmartBug, to tackle the big question: Is it time to fire your ATS? Together, they explore: 🤝 The core differences between an ATS and a CRM like HubSpot 🔄 Why staffing firms get stuck in reactive “post and pray” recruiting 📧 How HubSpot transforms candidate engagement with automation + personalization 📊 The reporting and forecasting visibility your ATS can’t provide 🚦 Signs it’s time to integrate—or replace—your ATS altogether Key Highlights [01:42] What an ATS does vs. what a CRM like HubSpot does [02:30] Why staffing firms feel limited by their ATS [06:27] The risks of forcing an ATS to act like a CRM (and vice versa) [09:21] How HubSpot creates a better candidate experience [11:15] Nurturing workflows staffing firms can build in HubSpot [12:56] Reporting and visibility HubSpot offers that ATS platforms lack [14:12] When to integrate your ATS vs. when to replace it [15:46] What a healthy ATS + CRM ecosystem looks like [17:06] How SmartBug helps staffing firms evaluate and optimize their tech stack 📩 Contact Us If your ATS feels more like a roadblock than a resource, SmartBug can help. Schedule a consult: https://www.smartbugmedia.com/contact-us Talk to Alexandra: awhitmore@smartbugmedia.com Talk to Abigail: aallen@smartbugmedia.com
Double Funnel, Double Trouble: Solving for Candidates and Clients in One CRM
Managing both candidates and clients in one CRM can feel impossible, but it doesn’t have to be. In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, host Alexandra Whitmore (VP of Sales at SmartBug) sits down with Sandy Moore (Senior Director of Account Strategy at SmartBug) to unpack why staffing firms struggle with “double funnel” operations and how HubSpot helps solve the chaos. You’ll learn: ✅ What the “double funnel” is and why it causes friction ✅ Common CRM mistakes staffing firms make with candidates vs. clients ✅ How legacy CRMs fall short in supporting both sides of the staffing equation ✅ Ways to structure HubSpot pipelines, objects, and dashboards for clarity ✅ Quick wins staffing leaders can implement this week ✅ Long-term shifts to prevent double funnel burnout If your CRM feels more like a data graveyard than a growth engine, it’s time for a reset. SmartBug has helped staffing firms of all sizes optimize HubSpot for recruiting and sales success—let’s do the same for you. Key Highlights: [02:10] What the “double funnel” is and why it creates friction for staffing firms [03:35] Common CRM mistakes when managing candidates and clients together [05:16] Why legacy CRMs often fail to support both funnels [07:26] How to design HubSpot pipelines for client acquisition and candidate placement [08:12] Best practices for keeping both funnels clean, connected, and collaborative [10:50] How recruiters, sales, and marketers can work in the same CRM without overlap [12:43] ATS vs. HubSpot: when to integrate and when to replace [14:20] Quick win: auditing your CRM to boost adoption and performance [15:26] Long-term fix: stopping duplicated efforts across teams [16:20] How SmartBug helps staffing firms optimize HubSpot for double funnels 👉 Alexandra: awhitmore@smartbugmedia.com 👉 Sandy: smoore@smartbugmedia.com 👉 Connect with our team here: https://www.smartbugmedia.com/contact-us
What Staffing Firms Get Wrong About CRM Strategy
In this episode of SmartBug on Tap, I, Alexandra Whitmore, delve into the common pitfalls staffing firms encounter with their CRM strategies. Joined by Casey Pedicord, our Senior Director of Channel Sales, we explore issues such as poor adoption, messy data, and ineffective recruiter handoffs that can hinder growth. Casey shares insights on how to transform a CRM from a mere record-keeping tool into a powerful revenue driver. We discuss the importance of executive buy-in, optimizing workflows, and leveraging automation to improve efficiency. If your CRM feels more like a burden than a benefit, this episode provides actionable strategies to reset your approach and unlock your firm's potential for growth. Tune in to discover how to make your CRM a true growth engine.
Second Brain Systems: How to Set Up Custom GPTs and Gems for Your Marketing Team
We’re diving into the concept of second brain systems—how to use custom GPTs (in ChatGPT) and Gems (in Gemini) to scale your marketing team’s productivity, eliminate repetitive tasks, and streamline onboarding, content creation, paid media, and more. You’ll learn: ✅ What a second brain is (and why marketers need one) ✅ How to build your own custom GPT or Gem ✅ What to feed your second brain to get great outputs ✅ Real SmartBug use cases ✅ Tips for maintenance, security, and future-proofing your setup Whether you're new to AI or a seasoned power user, you'll walk away with actionable tips to make AI work for your team—without replacing the human magic that makes your marketing shine. ⏱️ Key Highlights: 00:00 – Intro: Why second brains are changing how marketers work 03:10 – What is a second brain in marketing and AI? 05:00 – ChatGPT vs. Gemini: What makes a “second brain” different from on-the-fly prompting 07:50 – Eliminating information silos and dusty data 10:55 – ⚠️ AI Safety Disclaimer 11:00 – Step-by-step: How to build a custom Gem (Gemini) 14:15 – How to program user experiences into your Gem 16:00 – What kinds of data to include in your second brain 18:55 – How technical do you need to be? (Spoiler: Not at all!) 20:25 – SmartBug example: SME interview prep GPT 22:40 – Fun side note: Naming your GPTs 24:30 – Where second brains save time and increase quality 29:30 – Use cases beyond content: Paid media, reporting, onboarding 30:30 – What not to offload to AI 31:15 – Best practices and maintenance tips 34:50 – Who should “own” a shared Gem or GPT on your team? 36:40 – Common mistakes to avoid 38:00 – What’s next for second brain systems 40:15 – Skills marketers should start building now 42:55 – Final thoughts: Adding human connection back in 🔗 Want to connect or build your own second brain system? Reach out to Julia (jbye@smartbugmedia.com) or Rebecca (rcorgan@smartbugmedia.com) to chat.