335. Authenticity Is the Agency Edge, with David Ebner

This episode of The Innovative Agency Podcast welcomes David Ebner, Founder and CEO of Content Workshop, for a timely conversation about how to embrace AI without losing the power of authentic storytelling.

As a creative writer turned agency leader, he brings a grounded perspective to the rapidly evolving content landscape. Together, Sharon Toerek and David Ebner explore why the fundamentals of great storytelling haven't changed even as technology advances at a relentless pace.

You'll hear practical insights on integrating AI in ways that enhance, rather than erode, creativity and trust, along with smart strategies for building meaningful connections in an increasingly automated world.

What you will learn in this episode:

• Why storytelling still outperforms tactics, even as marketing tech evolves

• The crucial difference between treating AI as a tactic versus a strategy, and common mistakes agencies make

• How to "zig" when everyone else is "zagging" to differentiate your agency's brand and service offering

• Ways to incorporate training and education as valuable, monetizable agency deliverables

• How to maintain and grow client trust when AI-generated content is everywhere

• What the future holds for content-driven agencies

Bio

David J Ebner is the President and Founder of Content Workshop, a story-first content marketing agency. While in graduate school, he assembled a collective of storytellers whose sole purpose was to use their storytelling skills to help brands create and convert an audience. That idea became Content Workshop in 2013.

After graduating from the University of Tampa with an MFA in Creative Writing, he authored the Amazon Best Seller: Kingmakers: A Content Marketing Story. In 2025, Content Workshop acquired Lush Concepts, a web and technology studio, to heighten storytelling through every aspect of a brand's digital and physical footprint. Today, David runs Content Workshop and Lush Concepts from their headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. He also serves as the treasurer for a national non-profit and roasts his own coffee.

Resources:

• Website: https://contentworkshop.com/

• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjebner/

• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/contentwriterworkshop/