GateCheckStudiosA category creation agency from Sean Blanda

Own your category (before AI decides it for you.)

Work with me Get your Owned Media score

My approach

no content for content’s sake.
1

Owned media buildout

Long-term success can’t rely on the whims of the algorithms. I build owned channels like your website and email newsletter, so you control your distribution — not the platforms.

2

Publication design

Give your target audience value before the purchase, your sales team assets to leverage, and your executives something to share. Build trust, expand your brand, and (dare I say) have a little fun.

3

Thought leadership

No slop or copycat content. A journalistic process: original research, expert interviews, and leading the conversation in your industry. Then, once we’re dialed in, Gate Check Studios will help you hit the conference and podcast circuit.

4

Category domination

Don’t play someone else’s game. Make your own by carving out your space in the market. It’s the ultimate moat — let’s build it.

About Sean

Sean Blanda sean, phila. — 17 yrs in

Gate Check Studios is run by me, Sean Blanda, and is staffed by a network of friends and collaborators that vary according to client needs (think of it like assembling the Avengers). I’ve built content engines that became the #2 lead source at Crossbeam, grew 99U to 1.2M subscribers for Adobe, and reached 2M subscribers at InVision.

I’ve built new categories (like Ecosystem-Led Growth and Autonomous Marketing), produced conferences at places like Lincoln Center, and grew content programs that outlast the products they supported.

That’s 17 years of experience. Book time with me here.

Selected work

Hello, Autonomous Marketing.
New category, born 2025
77,000email subscribers

How AI Lab was conceived, strategized, and operated to (re)establish ActiveCampaign as a leader in the AI age.

Read the case study →
Impact, humanized.
+42%readers to owned properties

Impact and values-aligned investing is a category and this Philadelphia-based nonprofit is ready for its national spotlight. We developed owned media properties and reoriented its positioning to better match its much-loved community events.

Read the case study →
Being a partner with you has allowed us to transition from random acts of marketing to consolidated messaging. That’s been the glue to bring it together.
— Erin McInrue-Savage, Fmr. Director of Content Marketing & Strategy, ActiveCampaign
We couldn’t have done that on our own. We couldn’t have got a freelancer in there to do a cross-functional exercise with the C-suite to align on the brand message.
— Joe Kevens, Head of Marketing, Wisedocs
We launched this media publication. And it’s because of Sean. He helped concept it, concept the angle, and did all of the execution.
— Benyamin Elias, Senior Director, Growth Marketing, ActiveCampaign
Sean is great at taking ideas and feedback and mobilizing them, bringing them to life, allowing us to be nimble, grow our audience, and communicate effectively.
— Cory Donovan, Co-founder, ImpactPHL

The Gate Check Studios newsletter

Strategies for category creation and domination in the AI age, informed by client work. Sent weekly.

Work with me

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