Collaborate · Podcasts, press & creators
Pull up a mic. I'll bring the takes.
Marketing leader, UX designer, gamification geek and lifelong gamer. I guest on shows, write for other people's audiences, go on record for reporters, and co-create across social. If your audience cares why people believe, buy, click and play, let's make something together.
On air
Podcasts · Press · Streams · Collabs
Booking guest spots
Studio audio
Camera-ready
20+ yrs
Wicked smaht
I share it
Ways to collaborate
Talk it, write it, or make it together.
Talk
Audio & video
Podcast guest
YouTube interview or co-hosted episode
Livestream co-host
Panels, webinars & virtual summits
Write
Words & expert sourcing
Guest post
Expert quote for journalists
Newsletter feature or swap
Blurbs & roundups
Create
Social co-creation
LinkedIn Collab posts
Instagram, Threads & TikTok collabs
YouTube collabs & Shorts
Bluesky & X threads
What I talk about
Why people believe, buy, click & play.
The through-line: every message is a design choice, and games are the best-designed experiences we have. I've sold insurance on the front line, designed customer experiences, studied gamification and behavioral design, and now lead digital marketing and technology for a global manufacturer. Pick a lane, or mix two.
Persuasion & behavior
Buyer psychology
Trust & credibility
Motivation & habits
Misinformation
UX & customer experience
UX for CX
Journey mapping
Usability research
Small-business UX
Marketing, martech & AI
B2B & manufacturing
AI in marketing teams
Search & AI visibility
Content strategy
Careers & leadership
Career pivots
Grad school mid-career
Influence & managing up
Personality profiles at work
Creators, books & community
YouTube as a side hustle
Book reviews
Civic life in Iowa
Church & nonprofit media
Personal brand
Video games & gamification
Gamification & behavioral design
Octalysis
Game UX & usability
Player motivation
Game reviews & breakdowns
Streaming & Twitch
Ready-to-pitch episodes
Steal an episode idea.
EP 01
Careers
What a chaotic career trajectory taught me about influence and resilience.
Seven roles in 15 years at Nationwide, then running digital marketing and technology at Vermeer. What each seat taught me about influence, and what I'd tell my agent-era self.
Podcast
YouTube interview
LinkedIn Live
▶
EP 02
Games
What video games know about motivation that your funnel doesn't
Podcast · Co-stream
▶
EP 03
UX & CX
Your funnel is a user experience. Design it like one.
Guest post · Podcast
EP 04
Trust & AI
Seeing isn't believing: trust in the AI content era
Podcast · Panel
▶
EP 05
B2B
Marketing to people who hate being marketed to
Podcast · Guest post
EP 06
Gamification
Gamification without the dark patterns.
Points, badges and streaks that help people instead of hooking them.
Podcast · Guest post · Workshop
+50 pts
useful
Badge unlocked
earned
Don't break your streak!
guilt
EP 07
Careers
Are master's degrees still worth it?
Podcast · Newsletter Q&A
EP 08
Behavior
What my personality profiles got wrong (and right)
Podcast · LinkedIn Collab
Host & editor kit
Everything you need to book me in one email.
Bios, photos, suggested questions and my setup, ready before you ask. Tell me what you need and I'll send the kit.
Bios: one line, short, long
“Seth Sparks leads digital marketing and technology at Vermeer and writes about why people believe, buy, click and play.”
Headshots & logos
Square, landscape and vertical crops, for any platform you prefer.
Suggested questions
A starter set for each topic, so you're not starting from a blank doc.
My setup
Studio mic, HD camera, wired internet. Happy to record locally or remote.
What you get from me
Prep
I listen to your show or read your work first. Optional 15-minute pre-call.
Turnaround
Journalist quotes fast, often same day. Guest posts and recordings on a date we agree up front.
Promotion
A LinkedIn Collab post, a newsletter mention, and a post here linking back.
Clips
Cut it up however you like. Tag me and I'll reshare.
It goes both ways
Come on my channels.
I'm always looking for guests and co-creators. Same form, just pick “You on my channel.”
vlogwithseth
Looking for authors on book tour, Iowa civic voices, and fellow reviewers for joint reviews.
PresentShock
Looking for co-streams, indie devs who want a breakdown of their game, and creators for versus or review collabs.
Ready. Seth. Go.
Looking for recommendation swaps with newsletters my readers would like, and guest essays on marketing, UX, behavior and games.
How it works
Pitch to published in four steps.
1
Pitch
2
Fit check
3
Prep
4
Make & share
Pitch a collab
Tell me what you're making.
One form for every kind of collaboration, in either direction. It goes straight to my inbox.
Reporter on deadline?
FAQ
Fair questions.
Do you charge to be a guest?
It depends on the engagement. I like helping out small institutions depending on their purpose and culture, but usually have some fee associated with my time.
Can you talk about your employer?
I speak for myself, not my employer. I'm glad to share lessons and public work, never anything confidential.
My show is small. Will you still come on?
Yes. Fit matters more than follower count. If your audience would get something useful out of it, let's talk.
Do you do sponsored posts or product reviews?
I will do some reviews for electronics, video gaming, home automation, and book/film media, but rarely outside those domains.
Can I edit, clip or repurpose what we make?
Yes. Clip it, quote it, cut Shorts from it. Tag me and I'll reshare. Just keep what I said in context.
Will you record in person?
Yes, around Des Moines and central Iowa. Everywhere else, remote works great. Unless you have the budget to fly me to you.