How Real Relationships Win in an Algorithm-Driven World with Joshua B. Lee

What if the secret to standing out online… is just being more human? In this episode, Eric sits down with Joshua B. Lee—entrepreneur, author, and the founder of Standout Authority—to talk about the power of connection in a noisy, automated world.

From his early days running ads on MySpace to navigating the crash of 2008 and rebuilding everything from the ground up, Joshua gets real about the lessons that shaped him—not just as a marketer, but as a person. He opens up about the personal growth that came from major life shifts, including divorce, and how relationships (both personal and professional) helped him evolve.

This conversation dives deep into how LinkedIn became Joshua’s platform of choice, why personal branding matters more than ever, and what it really means to “humanize” your marketing. You’ll hear practical strategies for optimizing your LinkedIn profile, creating content that connects, and building a brand that actually feels like you.

We also explore what’s next in branding and marketing—and how Joshua’s helping others lead with authenticity in a world that often forgets the human on the other side of the screen.

Key Timestamps

[00:00:00] Welcome to Inside the Speakeasy Podcast

[00:03:28] The Myspace experience: lessons from the past

[00:07:18] The journey into digital marketing and entrepreneurship

[00:11:23] Navigating the challenges of the 2008 financial crisis

[00:15:22] Personal growth and the shift in mindset

[00:17:25] The impact of relationships on success

[00:28:39] The birth of Standout Authority

[00:30:04] The power of partnership in entrepreneurship

[00:31:07] Humanizing marketing: the shift from selling to connecting

[00:37:03] The importance of LinkedIn in modern business

[00:41:45] Building a strong LinkedIn profile

[00:43:54] Content creation best practices on LinkedIn

[00:48:30] Revolutionizing branding and marketing

Memorable Quotes:

“We all start off as entrepreneurs, you want to be able to grow to a business owner with an entrepreneurial mindset, that has a team, that you’re not wearing all the hats. But sometimes you have to understand too, you got to step back in, like in the long run, it all rolls back to you and that’s kind of what I had to take.” - Joshua B. Lee 

“We’re always chasing these algorithms. LinkedIn algorithms. Facebook algorithms. They’re always changing. We’ve got to find the next trick and the next hack. And our essence, there’s one algorithm that doesn’t change, which is, the human algorithms.” - Joshua B. Lee

Connect with Joshua B. Lee 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuablee/

Connect with Eric Berman:

Website: https://speakeasymastermind.com/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/ 

Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/speakeasymastermind/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericberman/ 

Produced by Evolved Podcasting: https://www.evolvedpodcasting.com