Do This, NOT That: Marketing Tips with Jay Schwedelson

What’s Up THIS WEEK?! 🤖 What Is Astra?(new ChatGPT) ➕ Alix Earle? ➕ Theranos? | Ep. 562

September 8, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

What’s Up This Week: Astra, Year-End Offers, and Elizabeth Holmes

OpenAI just dropped something that changes what ChatGPT can actually do for marketers — not just answer questions, but execute real tasks. That’s the headline. But Jay Schwedelson also walks through a data-backed shift in what offers will work from mid-September through year-end, and then veers into two pieces of pop culture that are bizarre enough to be worth knowing about.

Astra Is Not a Better Answer Machine

The biggest news for marketers this week is OpenAI’s announcement of Astra — their new model, effectively GPT-6. It’s rolling out first to pro users, then to ChatGPT and Codex, and within a week or two to all ChatGPT users. But Jay’s point is that most people will misunderstand what this update actually does.

“You’re gonna be like, ‘Oh, now it’s gonna make me even better images, or it’s gonna write me even better copy.’ That’s really not what this update is.”

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **Welcome & Episode Intro** - Quick intro and a note that the host is traveling but didn't want to skip the episode due to a lot of news.
2 (00:28) **OpenAI's New Model: Astra (GPT-6)** - The host breaks down what Astra is and why marketers need to know about it.
3 (03:00) **Q4 Offer Strategy: The 2027 Mindset** - Key data on what offers work best from September 15th through the end of the year.
4 (05:17) **Nonsense Segment: The New Theranos Documentary** - A bizarre new documentary trailer about Elizabeth Holmes has dropped.
5 (06:23) **Nonsense Segment: "Earl Meets World" Reality Show** - A breakdown of the new Netflix reality show featuring influencer Alix Earle.
6 (08:40) **Outro & Calls to Action** - The host shares two important things before signing off.
7 Standout Quotes

+ Full timestamped outline available in the app

Guests on this episode

Jay Schwedelson

Show Notes

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Recording from the road because the week refused to cooperate, Jay Schwedelson gets into why OpenAI's new Astra model is not the upgrade most marketers think it is - it won't write you better copy, but it will take the repetitive junk off your plate. There's also a date on the calendar that quietly changes what your content should be about for the rest of the year, and most teams are going to miss it. Then things go completely sideways into a documentary trailer and a televised double date that genuinely should not exist.

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Best Moments:

(00:38) What Astra actually is, and why better images and better copy are the wrong thing to expect

(01:45) The kind of prompt that sends the model on a real competitive research mission instead of a lookup

(02:30) The repetitive task hiding in every marketing org that should be first in line

(03:16) Why September 15th flips what people are actually willing to download

(04:20) The consumer-side play that goes past Black Friday a