In this episode of the Instagram Stories Podcast, I interview Anna Mangiello, a User-Generated Content (UGC) creator and coach. Anna is a former high school teacher turned full-time UGC creator and coach who has been creating UGC content since 2021. She has worked with over 800 brands, including Fiverr, Maybelline, L’Oréal, TikTok, Microsoft, Dr. Squatch, and many others.Anna has helped more than 700 creators build profitable online businesses through her programs, community, and digital resources. As a multi-passionate entrepreneur with a no-BS teaching style, Anna combines real industry experience with step-by-step education to help women build sustainable, scalable UGC businesses that support their families and give them true time flexibility and freedom.In this interview, Anna defines UGC as content produced by everyday people for brands to use on their own social media or for paid advertising, which allows creators to work without the pressure of posting to their personal accounts or having a large following. She emphasizes that while UGC offers creative freedom and flexibility, it is a demanding business that requires managing administrative tasks, legal contracts, and client negotiations. Anna also discusses her A+ creator community and her "Two-Hour Creator" course, which helps busy individuals—specifically those in the 30-plus demographic—break into the industry and leverage market gaps.You can find Anna online at:YouTube: A+SocialsTikTok: @aplussocialsInstagram: @aplussocials

This podcast episode features Jen Lehner, an AI strategist and consultant, and we review the accuracy of our tech and social media predictions for 2025 while looking ahead to the emerging trends of 2026.

The conversation covers the ethical dilemmas of AI video generation, viral marketing successes like the "death" of the Duolingo mascot, and the potential for AI agents to handle personal tasks like grocery shopping and app building.

• (3:00) - Reviewing 2025 Predictions: Jen Lehner reflects on her successful predictions regarding AI content, wearables, and agentic AI, while Daniel notes that while he was wrong about YouTube Shorts replacing TikTok, he correctly identified the rise of "social media burnout" as a major topic.
• (10:00) - The Sora Controversy and AI Ethics: A major discussion point is the "fail" of AI video tools like Sora allowing users to recreate deceased individuals (e.g., Martin Luther King or Elvis), raising concerns about legacy, dignity, and the lack of consent from families.
• (18:00) - "Vibe Coding" with Lovable: Daniel and Jen Lehner discuss Lovable, an app-building tool that allows users to create functional apps simply by describing them—a concept known as "vibe coding". Daniel shares how he used it to build a camera app to help him take better photos of his wife.
• (24:00) - The "Death" of Duo the Owl: The hosts break down Duolingo’s viral marketing campaign involving the staged "death" and community-led resurrection of its mascot, which successfully drove 1.5 million users back into the app to save him.
• (31:00) - Wearable Tech & Privacy Struggles: Jen Lehner describes using AI digital notetakers that record and summarize entire days of conversations. However, she notes the ethical "guilt" of not being able to inform every person she encounters, such as a pharmacist, that they are being recorded.
• (35:00) - 2026 Social Media Predictions: Jen Lehner predicts an explosion in live-selling auctions via apps like Whatnot, where young sellers are already making millions through fast-paced, high-scarcity sneaker sales.
• (37:00) - The Analog Shift: Daniel’s wife, Lauren, suggests a counter-trend for 2026: a move toward "analog" social experiences where people host "no phone parties" to prioritize raw, genuine connection over glamorized digital lifestyles.
• (38:00) - The Future of AI Agents & Robots: Jen Lehner anticipates the rise of agents that can autonomously order groceries via Instacart and home robots capable of tasks like unloading a dishwasher.
• (40:00) - OpenAI’s Move into Hardware: Daniel highlights OpenAI’s collaboration with designer Johnny Ive to create a computing experience intended to be "less socially disruptive than the iPhone".
• (44:00) - AI in Podcasting: Looking at 2026, Jen Lehner predicts the rise of AI personas or "synthetic voices" that will source, curate, and record entire podcast episodes autonomously.

Links:

Jen Lehner: https://jenlehner.com/

Front Row Daily Briefing: https://jenlehner.com/flash/

Bella Rose Mortel is a social media strategist and creative copywriter known for building authentic, high-impact digital brands. Currently at beehiiv, she leads content + strategy across LinkedIn, X (Twitter), Instagram and other platforms, blending strategy with storytelling to drive growth and engagement. With a background at Workweek and Morning Brew, plus her own Gen Z–focused newsletter The Personality Hire, she’s passionate about making B2B content feel human, relevant, and genuinely fun. Host Daniel Hill and Bella Rose discuss the critical importance for creators to "own their audience" through an email newsletter, as social media platforms can be unreliable due to algorithm changes or potential bans. Bella Rose highlights beehive's key differentiators from competitors like Substack, including its 0% cut on paid subscription revenue (only Stripe fees apply), a built-in ad network that offers sponsorship opportunities with no minimum subscriber count (even for those with as few as 100 subscribers), and a new fully integrated website builder. The discussion also covers beehiiv's tools designed to make content creation easier, such as AI writing assistance and various newsletter and website templates, emphasizing its role as an all-in-one platform to simplify growing and monetizing a content business. Bella Rose also shares insights from her dual perspective as a newsletter creator and social media strategist, explaining how newsletters foster a deeper connection with an intentional audience compared to the passive scrolling on social media, and offering practical advice on managing multiple social platforms.(2:30) beehiiv's All-in-One Platform & Website Builder: Bella Rose introduces beehiiv's new website builder, allowing for a fully integrated website with a newsletter, and highlights its growth and monetization tools as an all-in-one solution(3:30) Why Owning Your Audience with a Newsletter is Critical: Bella Rose emphasizes that creators cannot always trust social media algorithms (like TikTok bans or LinkedIn changes) to reach their audience, making owning an email list "super critical"(5:30) beehiiv's 0% Cut on Paid Subscriptions: Bella Rose states that beehiiv takes "0%" of subscription revenue, allowing creators to keep all their earnings except for Stripe fees, unlike Substack which takes a big cut(6:00) beehiiv's Built-in Ad Network for Sponsorships: She explains that beehiiv has an "ad network built in within the platform" that serves users sponsorship opportunities from premium sponsors like Roku and HubSpot(7:00) No Minimum Subscribers for beehiiv's Ad Network: Bella Rose clarifies that there is "not a minimum size" for newsletters to receive ads, noting that even those with "maybe 100 subscribers get offered ads"(10:00) beehiiv's AI Writing Tools: Bella Rose mentions that beehiiv offers AI tools within its editor to help writers tighten content, change language, or edit images, making the writing process easier(11:30) Full Website Hosting on beehive: Bella Rose confirms that users can host their entire custom website on beehiiv, fully integrated with their newsletter, eliminating the need for separate hosting platforms(17:30) Bella Rose's Social Media Strategy and Tips: She shares insights into her role as social media strategist at beehiiv, managing content for platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Threads, focusing on making product content fun and engagingFind Bella Rose:LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/bellarosemortel/⁠Newsletter: The Personality Hire - ⁠https://bella-roses-newsletter.beehiiv.com/t/lifestyle⁠Find beehiiv: Web: ⁠https://www.beehiiv.com/⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/beehiiv/⁠Find Daniel:Social Media News Podcast: ⁠https://pod.link/1467688778⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/danielhillmedia/⁠Email Newsletter: ⁠https://subscribepage.io/danielhillmedia⁠