Caleb Ralston, the Content Architect Behind Hormozi and GaryVee, On Building a Brand That Actually Lasts

“Quality is subjective as f*ck.” That’s not just a hot take — it’s a wake-up call from Caleb Ralston, the mastermind who helped take GaryVee’s TikTok from 300k to 3.5M and later scaled Alex and Leila Hormozi’s reach from 1.2M to 11.5M.

Now on his own, Caleb is opening the playbook.

In a recent interview in Creator Science Podcast, he revealed the strategy behind some of the most explosive content operations in entrepreneurship — and why most creators are measuring the wrong things, building the wrong teams, and scaling the wrong brands.

If you’re a wantrepreneur or founder trying to get traction, this is a reality check.

Stop Obsessing Over Quality. Obsess Over Data.

“None of us know what quality is. The only people who do? Your audience,” Caleb says.

That’s why he encourages creators to produce a high volume of content early on — not to spam feeds, but to generate data. This is the heart of his accordion method:

Start wide. Learn what works. Then contract your energy into what your audience actually wants.

For example, if you’re posting 14 pieces per week, track which perform best. If half of them consistently flop, refocus your efforts on the formats, topics, and hooks that get traction — even if that means posting less, but with more strategic intent.

The 4-Question Framework to Avoid Building a Brand You Hate

Most creators burn out because they build brands around topics they don’t actually care about.

To avoid this trap, Caleb uses what he calls the Brand Journey Framework, built around four questions:

1. What is the outcome I want?
2. What do I need to be known for to achieve that?
3. What must I do to become known for that?
4. What do I need to learn to do those things?

This reverse-engineering approach helps filter which topics are worth speaking on and ensures you're building a brand with long-term alignment.

Go Deep First. Then Go Wide.

In a world that preaches “niche down,” Caleb takes a more human approach:

“If you talk about one thing all the time, your audience will get bored. And so will you.”

But that doesn’t mean throwing spaghetti at the wall. Caleb recommends an 80/20 split:

• 80% focused, expert-driven content.
• 20% personal passions or quirks (your Harley, your favorite cereal, your hardcore music taste).

This combination builds depth with your core audience and gives new viewers multiple entry points to connect with you — think Joe Rogan’s fanbase: MMA fans, conspiracy theorists, and biohackers all coexist.

Burnout-Proof Your Brand by Pairing Interests

Don’t feel pressured to “make content about your Harley,” Caleb says. Instead, film your core content while doing the things you love.

• Walking your dog?
• Drinking tea?
• Playing golf?

If it makes content creation more sustainable, do it. Pair joy with value. This is how creators avoid the slow death of “being on” all the time.

The Truth About Repetition

Caleb’s advice: say the same thing over and over — in different ways.

“You never know when a certain analogy or story will finally land with someone.”

Great brands don’t reinvent the wheel every week. They repackage and reframe core principles across stories, formats, and platforms. Repetition builds clarity. Clarity builds trust.

Volume Is the Strategy. Data Is the Feedback Loop.

Want to know if your volume strategy is working?

Ask yourself this: “Is engagement going up as output increases?” If not, you’re not hitting the mark.

Caleb’s take on analytics is refreshingly sharp:

“If it’s not changing what you do, it’s pointless to track.”

He recommends tracking multipliers instead of raw metrics. For instance:

• If your benchmark is 100K views and a post gets 150K → that’s a 1.5x outlier.
• If it gets 50K → it’s a 0.5x underperformer.

This removes subjectivity from strategy and lets the whole team quickly spot what’s working — and what’s wasting time.

Build Your Team Around You — Not Someone Else’s Playbook

One of GaryVee’s best pieces of advice to Caleb:

“Don’t build what I built. Build what they need.”

There’s no standard org chart. Caleb starts by identifying the founder’s preferred medium — video, text, audio, or visuals — and builds the content operation around that.

You don’t need a team. You need a bottleneck solved.

Start with contractors to validate. Go full-time when the vision gets clear. Always hire to solve constraints, not fill roles.

Why LinkedIn Is the Hidden Gem of 2025

Forget the resume-era reputation — LinkedIn is the Facebook of 2014, Caleb says.

Its reach is unmatched. Comments show up in your connections’ feeds. You don’t have to be B2B. Just show up as a human, not a robot regurgitating ChatGPT prompts.

Podcasts Aren’t a Nice-to-Have. They’re Trust Accelerators.

Podcasting might feel like a throwback, but in 2025, the average ROI is 4:1 on ads alone — and that's not counting the trust factor.

In Caleb’s words:

“Trust is the currency that precedes the transaction.”

If you're not podcasting yet, start. If you are, innovate the format. Add a moderator. Try fireside-style chats. The bar for originality is still low.

Content Isn’t a Side Project. It’s a Trust Engine.

At its core, content is a tool to scale trust — with customers, partners, and future teammates.

Caleb’s strategy?

Pair your brand with success stories — in a modern way.

That means less “testimonials tab” and more real-time case studies, deep dives, and vlogs that demonstrate what you do.

“When your audience associates you with their own success, trust skyrockets. And trust makes everything in business easier.”

The Caleb Playbook (In Summary)

• Volume > perfection. You can’t guess what will work — you need data.
• Start with depth. Earn trust before you chase trends.
• Track multipliers, not vanity metrics.
• Don’t chase templates. Build custom teams.
• Repurpose thoughtfully — not lazily.
• Think “accordion strategy” — expand, learn, contract.
• Let your interests make content creation joyful.
• Show, don’t just tell. Vlogs, BTS, proof in action.
• Collaborate strategically. Not every podcast is a good look.
• Email still matters. But earn it by giving real value.