Special Ops with Emma Rainville

• Made in USA or Made in Trouble? What You Missed About FTC Label Laws

  Slapping a “Made in the USA” label on your product? You might be setting your brand up for an FTC beatdown. In this episode of Marketing on Trial, Emma Rainville teams up with FTC compliance attorney Ryan Poteet to dissect the new crackdown on origin claims. With the FTC zeroing in on brands like Amazon and Walmart, enforcement around "Made in USA" labeling is no longer theoretical — it's here, it's real, and it's ruthless. Whether you're in supplements, consumer goods, or apparel, if you're using patriotic branding or making origin claims without rock-solid documentation, you’re a target.From dissecting what “all or virtually all” really means, to how manufacturers and marketers get blindsided by overseas components, Emma and Ryan break it down in real-world terms with no fluff and all fire. This is not just about compliance. It’s about protecting millions in revenue.We cover:Why “Made in USA” is now an FTC bullseyeThe exact threshold for legal origin claims Real case studies of compliance failuresHow to audit your product and marketing copy What marketers must document — and what’s not enough Timestamps:(0:00) Intro: Why “patriotic branding” can destroy your business(2:11) The FTC’s Made in USA Month and enforcement pivot(4:32) What “all or virtually all” means — the unqualified claim trap(7:05) Real-world compliance failures: docks, steel, and supplements(8:48) Your compliance checklist: marketing claims vs. ingredient truth(10:00) What documentation marketers must request from manufacturers(11:30) Trust, contracts, and how to protect your company(13:02) Visionary Vault: Access our compliance checklist free(14:19) Outro and final compliance warningDownload the Free Made in USA Compliance Checklist. Sign up for the Visionary Vault at www.specialopspodcast.com to get the downloadable compliance checklistExplore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visiona... Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website:

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• How to Unplug as a Founder: Let Your Business Run While on Vacation

  You didn’t build a business — you built a job.If stepping away from your company causes chaos, you haven’t built a business — you’ve built yourself a glorified job. In this episode, Emma Rainville breaks down the systems, mindset, and ruthless leadership decisions required to create a business that actually runs without you. She shares how she turned a vacation disaster into a team transformation — and how that shift now allows her to unplug for a month without worrying the place will burn.This is the tactical blueprint for founder freedom, from someone who’s done the hard reset and rebuilt smarter.We cover:The 6–8 week “no CEO” stress test for your businessHow Emma rebuilt her team to be self-reliant after vacation burnoutThe exact delegation system that lets her disappear without fearWhy letting your team make mistakes is your highest leverage playHer formula for unplugging 65+ days a year without slowing growthTimestamps(0:00) You didn’t build a business. You built a job.(1:30) Dream vacation gone wrong: when your team can’t function(3:45) The hard truth: fire fast, delegate faster(6:10) The psychology behind letting your team fail(8:00) The system that lets her take a month off(10:15) The anti–9 to 5 mindset: why Emma works 300+ days a year(11:55) Visionary Vault: free guide to turning your business from trap to freedomReady to stop being your business’s bottleneck? Grab the 5-step guide to building systems that set you free — now inside the Visionary Vault. It’s free. No fluff. No pitch. Just tactical execution tools.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

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• Is Your Cookie Banner a Legal Trap? Here’s How to Fix It Before the FTC Does

  If your cookie banner has one-click "accept" but a buried opt-out, you're not compliant — you're exposed.In this high-risk episode of Marketing on Trial, Emma Rainville and FTC attorney Ryan Poteet break down the real legal stakes behind cookie banners — and why most marketers are still getting it wrong. As Google confirms its Privacy Sandbox rollout by 2026 and California’s regulators sharpen enforcement, your tracking stack and banner design could be liabilities waiting to be litigated.We dissect the FTC’s position on “dark patterns,” California’s symmetry-of-choice mandate, and the massive fines already hitting brands using deceptive consent flows. Plus: what OneTrust-style consent tracking tools must now include, and how to fix noncompliant legacy funnels before they become class action bait.We cover:What “symmetry of choice” actually requires in 2025 (2:01)How to audit your cookie banners against FTC and CPRA design rules (4:10)Back-end tools for consent tracking: what’s defensible vs. noncompliant (7:26)The truth about placing cookies before consent (10:34)The real legal consequences: AG action, FTC scrutiny, and class-action risk (11:55)Final checklist to make your funnel cookie-compliant now (12:50)(0:00) Introduction: Cookie-based marketing is collapsing(2:01) Why consent isn’t just a checkbox(4:10) Designing legally safe cookie banners: California’s standard(7:26) Consent tracking tools (OneTrust and alternatives)(10:34) Illegal placements: when are cookies actually set?(11:55) Consequences: six-figure fines and class actions(12:50) Audit checklist & Visionary Vault toolkitGrab your Cookie-less Compliance Toolkit inside the Visionary Vault to fix your tracking flows before regulators fix them for you. Free, instant access. No upsells — just defense.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

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• Texas Just Changed SMS Rules and It’s Wild! — Here's what you need to know

  If you're texting Texas residents, you may already be breaking the law — and the state’s not playing around.In this Special Ops mini-episode, Emma Rainville breaks down Texas’s new SMS marketing regulations hitting on September 1st, and what they mean for founders, media buyers, and ops teams. From curfews to compliance filings, this is not a law to take lightly — especially in a state with serious enforcement teeth. You’ll learn exactly what you must do to avoid five-figure fines (and yes, it starts with a $10K bond).Rainville outlines the new classification of SMS as telemarketing under Texas law (SB 140), the required Secretary of State registration, and strict curfew hours. If you're a direct response brand or own an e-commerce operation with Texas leads, this 4-minute update could save you a major compliance headache. Get ahead — not penalized.We cover:Why SMS is now considered telemarketing under Texas lawHow to register with the Secretary of State (+ what it costs)Required $10,000 surety bond breakdownWhen you’re legally barred from texting Texas phonesWhat happens if you don’t comply — and why curfews matterWhere to grab a done-for-you SOP for full complianceTimestamps(0:00) The new Texas SMS law: Who it applies to(0:45) Required registration + bond overview(1:20) Legal SMS curfew hours explained(2:05) Risks of noncompliance in Texas(3:00) Where to get the free SOP inside the Visionary Vault(4:15) Final warning: Texas isn’t messing around⚠️ Don’t get caught unprepared. Get your free “Texas SMS Compliance SOP” in the Visionary Vault to follow every step. Stay legal. Stay scalable.Explore Free Resources inside the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

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• DraftKings Promo Lands $3M Fine (Could Yours Be Next?)

  What if your next big promo landed you in court?This week, Emma Rainville and compliance attorney Ryan Poteet break down DraftKings’ $3 million marketing settlement—and the deceptive bonus offer that triggered it. From “risk-free bets” to 30-day guarantees, we unpack how one headline promo became a regulatory minefield and what marketers must do to avoid similar fallout.Whether you’re running affiliate banners, SaaS free trials, or limited-time bonuses, this episode is your tactical guide to staying compliant without killing conversions. We cover legal definitions of deception, why “clear and conspicuous” means more than fine print, and how affiliate behavior could make you liable—even if you didn’t approve the ad.We cover:The DraftKings settlement: deceptive by omission vs outright lieWhy “free” and “risk-free” are legal red flags (even with fine print)FTC rules on disclaimer proximity (and why footers won’t cut it)State AGs, class actions, and affiliate banners under scrutinyA tactical checklist for legally bulletproof bonus offersTimestamps:(0:00) DraftKings: what happened and why $3M was paid(1:27) “Risk-free” ≠ risk-free: why terms must match the claim(3:12) What counts as “clear and conspicuous” in ad copy(5:06) Affiliate networks, UI banners, and who’s responsible(7:14) Class actions vs AG enforcement: the bigger threat(9:29) Tactical checklist: fix your offer stack, disclaimers, and funnels(12:05) Final verdict: one promo, skipped truths, $3M goneDownload the playbook:Get our Bonus Marketing Compliance Template—tested language, visual placement cues, and funnel audit steps—in the Visionary Vault at www.specialopspodcast.com.Explore Free Resources at the Visionary Vault:https://specialopspodcast.com/visionary-vault Get in Touch with Ryan Poteet:Website: https://www.grsm.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-poteet-43098ba Get in Touch with Emma Rainville: Website: https://specialopspodcast.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@specialopspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emma_rainville512/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmarainvilleoperationsguru

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