Confessions of a Marketer

Robyn Johnson, CEO and founder of Marketplace Blueprint, is with us on this episode of Confessions of a Marketer. She has been heralded as one of the country's foremost leaders on the topic of selling and marketing products on Amazon.com. And she has the distinction of being on the episode that kept this podcast going even while we were on hiatus, with hundreds of downloads and listens every month since we went on ice about three years ago. TRANSCRIPT Mark Reed-Edwards: Thanks for joining me today. Robyn Johnson: It's my pleasure, and I think it's awesome that I can help you be here as we reopen things. And Amazon has changed so much. Dog years are, you know, one year is every seven years. I feel like Amazon every one year is 10 years. Mark Reed-Edwards: That's for sure. I mean, think back three years ago, we were in the middle of the pandemic still. And the world was kind of getting used to using more and more technology. So Amazon had a huge boom as a result of that, along with the other tools that we all use every day. So the world is definitely different from when you and I talked three years ago. I'm sure things have happened in your life that are make you different. Can you share a bit of your background and what you do at Marketplace Blueprint? Robyn Johnson: Yeah, so I've been eating, sleeping, breathing Amazon for about 13 years now. We started as sellers, took a hundred dollars, grew our business to a million dollars in just a couple of years and primarily on Amazon. And after that, we coached a lot of other high volume Amazon sellers. This was when it was the wild wild west. You could do anything. People were taking apart food and repackaging it in very unsafe ways. We didn't do that, but there were a lot of people who were. And then about seven years ago, eight years ago, we started the agency called Marketplace Blueprint. And in that agency, we specialize only on Amazon. So we don't do Facebook, no Meta, no Google. We only do Amazon. And the reason for that is because everything in Amazon is integrated. So to work on your SEO for Amazon, you have to coordinate with ads, compliance, inventory management, and negative customer experiences. All of those need to be integrated to make sure that you get the best mileage out of your ad dollar on Amazon. And also that you don't get stuck with a bunch of fees or being unable to sell at all. Mark Reed-Edwards: So every company that makes a product, pretty much, thinks they need to be on Amazon. How do you decide on whether Amazon is in fact the right forum for your products? Robyn Johnson: So I will say that there are some products that Amazon is not a good fit for. Amazon works best on repeatable products, products that are going to be consistent. There is a space for custom products. We have a custom dog tag company that we've been working with for a long time that was on Shark Tank. They do very, very well. You can do custom items, but one of a kind things that are not repeatable, those don't do as well because Amazon's algorithm is really designed for is you have to really be able to repeat that sale over and over again. Now, the things that have changed is it used to be, you know, field of dreams. If you build it, they will come, you know, you just put a garlic press. press on there and you stick a label on it and it would sell. Those days are dying if they're not already dead. You really need something that will bring some unique value, so it fixes a problem or it solves a need in some way that's unique to others. Or you need to have very, very deep pockets. You can still launch a garlic press, but to get it to where you're going to get those significant organic sales, you're going to need to invest a ton of money in ads and be willing to go into the negative for a period of time if it's a really competitive or commoditized product. And then the other thing is we need to balance how much search volume is there for your product. So if Lego launches. anything, Lego...

We're back with this mini series of Talent Showcase episodes focused on people in marketing, communications, PR, and allied fields who're looking for their next opportunity. You'll hear their stories, successes, and how they can help their next employer or client. Today, I'm joined by Paula Lowe (https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulajlowe/). Paula is the founder and principal of The PR Table, a marketing communications consulting firm, where all of marketing has a seat at the table. Although Paula's expertise is in media relations and communication strategy, her experience encompasses all aspects of marketing communications, from email marketing, content development, and social media to website creation and maintenance. Paula has more than 15 years experience, having worked with large multinational corporate entities and small startup ventures within a wide range of industries, including technology, Financial Services, Health Care and Medical, Health IT, Supply Chain, Non profits, and Supply Chain and Logistics. Transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Paula, it's good to have you on the show. Welcome. Paula Lowe: It's great to be here, Mark. Thank you. Mark Reed-Edwards: So, I just told your life story, but can you tell me more about yourself beyond what I just shared, your background and career path? Paula Lowe: Sure. It's always fun to sort of remember the story. I actually went to school in Boston and graduated with an associate degree in hospitality management. I quickly got a job at the Ritz Carlton in a supervisory role, but realized that it was not going to afford me the opportunity to complete my degree, which was very important back then. So I transferred and got a job as an admin assistant at an environmental engineering firm. And about a year in, I transferred from the facilities department to the corporate communications department. And that was it. I fell in love with corpcomm. I began to realize that my natural storytelling and relatability with people was something I could leverage in a career that I would find satisfying and challenging. So I got in touch then with our PR consultant that was brought in. My boss said, "I'm going to have you work with our PR consultant, help tell some stories. I think you'd be good at it." I said, "Great." And that was it. From there, I left the environmental engineering firm and I joined Lois Paul Partners back up in Lexington. I've had my career in public relations ever since. Mark Reed-Edwards: So what is one of your most important career accomplishments, do you think? Paula Lowe: I have to say, working for Hebrew Senior Life in Boston, which is a non profit. They have a hospital license for Hebrew Rehab Center. And they have eight or nine senior housing locations throughout Greater Boston. And I was there at the onset and throughout COVID. And that was a very, very challenging, stressful, difficult time. But it was also a really great learning opportunity because HSL is a leader in senior care. And the then- CEO, he's since retired, but he was a real inspiration to see how he handled things and we were able to bring them through that crisis really successfully. Mark Reed-Edwards: So what do you think you can offer your next employer or client? Paula Lowe: I think that the years of experience I have have led me to be, although I am a PR specialist, if you will, my forte is media relations and analyst relations, securing those relationships, but you know, there's a breadth of services and strategy that I can bring to my clients, so relationship building, persistence. One of the things I found as a PR person is that we have to be persistent. And if a client or I want a relationship with a particular member of the media, I will make it happen. It just might take some time and some creativity. I really find a lot of inspiration in trying to find different ways to do things. I'm not a believer in "this is the way we've always done it so this is the way we should continue to do it." So if my...

Today, I’m joined by Kelley Lynn Kassa (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelleykassa/). Kelley’s career evolved from public relations, media relations and analyst relations to marketing programs, content strategy, and content creation. She’s worked with a wide range of organizations, from start-ups to blue-chip technology companies. Outside of her professional life, Kelley is a foodie and a rower (look for her on the Charles River!). Plus, she coaches recreational rowing to youth, adults, and para athletes. The transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Kelley, welcome. Kelley Kassa: Hey, Mark. Thank you for taking the time to speak with me today. Mark Reed-Edwards: It's wonderful having you here. It's been a while since we've caught up, so it's great to chat. Can you tell me more about yourself beyond what I just shared, your background and career path? Kelley Kassa: Sure, as you mentioned, I started in PR and I migrated or spread my wings into marketing. I tend to think of myself as a marketing utility player. And what I've found over the last few years is I've had a great deal of success and brought success to organizations that I've worked with by serving as a marketing mentor to them. I can come in and bring them the strategy and work with their in house marketing person, who's younger in their career, on the execution or I really just serve as a manager for that person. This way they have somebody who understands marketing and helps them reach the marketing goals and metrics that the executive team wants, while also making sure that they are learning about marketing and they're growing in their role as well. For one company that I worked with---an innovation consulting firm---they had had a series of new people in their career in marketing, there was no marketing executive, and they were celebrating their 20th year in business. After a few months of working with me, they said they've never been successful at marketing before. And now they've found that success. And so that's something that I'm rolling out as an offering to other organizations. It's something I've done not just with that firm, but also with a nonprofit organization that I work with where again, it was somebody newer to his career reporting into an executive director who had so many other things on his plate. Things were going south quickly. So they brought me in and I met with him on a weekly basis. It's that hands on stuff of, "Okay, what's on your plate? Let's prioritize that. What's coming up? What do we need to think about in three months that we need to plan for now?" As well as the day to day care and feeding of your employees. Like, "How's it going?" So that's what I'm really excited about right now. Mark Reed-Edwards: It sounds fascinating to me because you have so much you can offer. You're, a utility player. How do you figure out where you focus with a client? Kelley Kassa: Well, oftentimes, it's a matter of doing the initial triage. And my perspective comes from having worked for a number of PR agencies earlier in my career: "What are the bigger goals and then what are your quick wins?" Okay, so I'm probably going to butcher the baseball analogy because I'm not that much of an enthusiast, although I like going to Fenway to see the Red Sox. While you're focusing on what are the home runs we need to hit, how quickly can we get some singles under our belt, so to speak so that we start to get momentum. I listened to your recent podcast with Chuck Tanowitz, who I know well, and he talked about bread rising and needing multiple projects going on while your bread is rising. And it's sort of the same idea. The home runs are going to take a little bit more. You're going to need to put more effort into it. So what can we do in the short term to show some wins and prove that marketing will get them what they want? Mark Reed-Edwards: So speaking of home runs, can you tell me one of your most important career accomplishments? Kelley Kassa: You know, I pride myself on the...

Chuck Tanowitz (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctanowitz/) is a seasoned professional in strategic communications, with a history of building strong programs that drive media and brand growth. His experience spans more than 15 years—he has played key roles in shaping the marketing and communication strategies for various brands, including Paytronix Systems, Greentown Labs, the N-Squared Innovation District, TenMarks, and a long list of others. Chuck is back on Confessions of Marketer for the second time—having joined us in 2017 in the very early days of this podcast. Transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Welcome to this special episode of Confessions of a Marketer. I'm Mark Reed Edwards. We're back with this mini series of shows I've dubbed the Talent Showcase. These episodes focus on people in marketing, communications, PR, and allied fields who are looking for their next opportunity. My guests share their stories, successes, and how they can help their next employer or client. Today, I'm joined by Chuck Tanowitz. Chuck is a seasoned professional in strategic communications with a history of building strong programs that drive media and brand growth. His experience spans more than 15 years. He's played a key roles in shaping the marketing and communication strategies for various brands, including Paytronix Systems, Greentown Labs, the N Squared Innovation District, 10 Marks, and a long list of others. Chuck Tanowitz is back on Confessions of a Marketer for the second time, having joined us in 2017, the very early days of this podcast. Chuck, welcome back. Chuck Tanowitz: Thank you. I I really appreciate you having me on. Mark: It's great to chat. So can you tell me more about yourself beyond what I just shared, you know, your background and career path? Chuck: You know, it's interesting. I was reading an article recently that talked about developing a career portfolio as opposed to a career path, and I feel like that's actually a little bit of what I've done. Yes, the core of my career has been in PR and marketing and brand, but I've also taken on these other roles outside. That's how I ended up, for example, at the N squared Innovation District, which was really more of an economic development effort, as much it was a marketing effort. So it's given me this broad base of very interesting kind of pieces that I've done. You know, when I look at the work I did at Paytronix, which was very much traditional marketing and PR and brand, which was: drive leads and drive interest in this company. But then you look at something like N-Squared, where it was: "How do I develop a community? How do I bring in art into the project and develop placemaking? How do I connect with local colleges and universities?" And then something like Greentown Labs, where it was: "How do you build something from zero and get it known where you're trying to not necessarily build leads, but certainly build brand around a name and what it means and giving it some brand equity?" And then also creating my own PR from, which I had done a few years ago. And then also being a local advocate and sit on the Economic Development Commission. And then most recently, I spent three days in Vermont learning how to bake croissants. So it's, you know, how do I put all those things together and begin to say, "What do they all mean and how do you move forward?" Mark: Boy, there are some analogies one can make to baking related to our profession. You know, being patient, right? And letting things rise. Chuck: Yeah, sometimes I am not nearly patient enough in my rise. But yes, that is a big part of baking. In fact, I said to my wife the other day, "What I need to do when I bake is plan out a series of bakes along the way, so that while one thing is sitting and rising, I'm working on the next thing." You're right, it does align with where you are in PR, where you're kind of, yes, you might be working on a press release over here, but that's not going out, you know, for two months, three...

Gem Pasant (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gem-jp/) has over 15 years’ experience in Customer Leader roles in a range of organizations from start up to large corporate, typically in the insurance sector. Gem’s biggest area of interest is Customer Experience as culture—specifically how this links to company purpose, employee experience and sustainable growth through the practical application of the Net Promoter System. Transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Welcome to this special episode of Confessions of a Marketer. I'm Mark Reed Edwards. We're back with this mini series of shows I've dubbed the Talent Showcase. These episodes will focus on people in marketing, communications, PR, and allied fields who are looking for their next opportunity. My guests will share their stories, successes, and how they can help their next employer or client. Today, I'm joined by Gem Passant. Gem has over 15 years experience in customer leader roles in a range of organizations, from startup to large corporate, typically in the insurance sector. Gem's biggest area of interest is customer experience as culture, specifically how this links to company purpose, employee experience, and sustainable growth through the practical application of the Net Promoter System. Gem, welcome. Gem Passant: Thanks for having me. It's great to be here. Mark: It's wonderful to have you on the show. So can you tell me about yourself, your background, and career path? Gem: Yeah, sure. So I actually started out in human resources. I read archaeology at university with some anthropology and got really into human behavior and thought human resources is the way for me to go. And then got onto a graduate scheme. So that's what we call in the UK, would maybe be a postgraduate scheme in the US, basically working for an employer on a fast track scheme for a large insurance company in the UK called Aviva. And I planned to stay in that field and not long in realized that I actually didn't understand my customers enough, which was the internal customers of the organization. And the only way to do a good job working in HR was to go and experience what they were experiencing and work in the business itself. And so I was looking for a change, I asked for a change, and was invited to apply to be Chief of Staff to the Chief Operations Officer for the UK business, which was a great role, a super fast track learning, if anyone's ever done Chief of Staff they'll know. And that gave me an opportunity to really learn and understand the business cause I was right in the thick of it and look for what my next opportunity would be. And there was an area that had been unloved for some while, which was the customer experience function. That was back then not called CX, which is what we tend to call it now. It was quite early days for having a customer experience function. And it had been run by somebody for a long time who'd moved into a different role and then there'd just been an absence of leadership for a while. So I took that role and changed quite a few things within the team and propelled it into a new stage of growth, I guess you could say. But stayed there for four years, absolutely adored that role. I was then asked to do various other things, I think that's what happens when you work in a large organization and you're known to be flexible. So I went on to do all sorts of other things, from head of internal comms, to more chief of staff roles, to running large billion pound transformation programs in the program office. But I then decided to have a break from all of that and retrained as a neuro linguistic programming coach. So I quit that role--quit Aviva--and went and lived in Thailand, which is where I met my now husband. That's a different story for a different podcast probably. And then I came back and did some more customer experience stuff for another insurer, a slightly smaller one called Liverpool Victoria here in the UK. And then I went back to Thailand. My husband and I decided that we...

Jason Rasmuson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrasmuson/) is a Massachusetts-based writer with more than 20 years’ experience writing for the technology industry. He’s been self-employed for the last 15 years with experience in the cloud computing, cybersecurity, FinTech, HR/workforce management/talent management, and other specialized areas in high tech. He recently relaunched his business to offer a new take on writing: content delivered as a service. This new model helps clients produce more content each month, yet in a much more flexible and cost-effective way than retainers or per-project engagements. You can learn more at www.runningstart.co Transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Welcome to this episode of Confessions of a Marketer. I'm Mark Reed Edwards. We're back with this mini series of Talent Showcase episodes that focus on people in marketing, communications, PR, and allied fields who are looking for their next opportunity. My guests will share their stories, successes, and how they can help their next employer or client. Today, I'm joined by Jason Rasmussen. Jason is a Massachusetts based writer with more than 20 years experience writing for the technology industry. He's been self employed for the last 15 years with experience in cloud computing, cyber security, fintech, HR workforce management, talent management, and other specialized areas in high tech. He recently relaunched his business to offer a new take on writing content delivered as a service. This new model helps clients produce more content each month, yet in a much more flexible and cost effective way than retainers or per project engagements. Mark You can learn more at runningstart.co (https://www.runningstart.co) Jason, welcome. Jason Rasmuson: Thanks for having me, Mark. Really looking forward to our conversation. Mark: Same here. You and I crossed paths several years ago and we reconnected on LinkedIn. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself and your background and career path? Jason: Yeah, sure. So I--probably like many of us--was slightly better at the kind of English major side. When I got out of school, I was lucky enough to join Kronos now UKG, which is where I believe we met. So I was able to join as an house writer. You know, marketing collateral and things like that. And was really pretty happy in my role there. And at a certain point, just wanted to grow a little bit. So I. I got an MBA and moved from job to job a little bit. I had a couple stints at local software companies. And, ultimately the Great Recession in 2009 resulted in layoffs that were probably the push I needed. Because I ultimately did want to start my own thing and kind of work for myself. So, since 2009, I've been kind of a one man band here supporting the technology industry, and marketing teams in tech, with a lot of content--kind of the typical things you'd expect, I'm sure. Mark: Yeah, yeah. So what is one of your most important career accomplishments? Jason: So I would say, boy, I mean, the MBA for me was really big. As someone who was an English major and thinking that I was kind of predestined to only go down one path, being able to get my MBA was really a big achievement for me. But I would say just in general, I think maybe a lot of writers or creative people tend to be introverted. So I would just chalk it up to the fact that I've been able to make it work in an industry where you need to be outgoing or salesy or relationship driven. Mark: Yeah, if the world was full of extroverts it wouldn't be very fun, would it? Jason: Yeah. Right. My wife thinks it's a character choice and a character flaw on my part. But we're wired the way we're wired, I guess. Mark: So, if you've got a client coming your way, or hey, you decide to take another full time job, what do you think you can offer that next employer or client? Jason: So a few things. The good news is because I'm as old as I am-- experience, certainly in technology and specialized areas such as cyber security or...

Ben Bradshaw (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-bradshaw-9366a04/) is an experienced brand and marketing leader in energy and cleantech. He helps progressive businesses in the Energy Transition create a standout brand, and marketing that powers profitable and sustainable growth. He has 25 years’ experience as a marketer in the UK energy & cleantech sectors and particular strengths in marcomms, brand, strategy, planning, insight for B2C, B2B, corporations or start-ups. Ben has held Head of Marketing positions transforming brands and building teams - with a passion for sustainability, brand and culture. He is now seeking his next senior marketing role with an ambitious pioneer in the clean energy sector. Transcript Mark Reed-Edwards: Welcome to this special episode of Confessions of a Marketer. I'm Mark Reed-Edwards. It's been a while, but we're back with this mini series of shows I've dubbed the Talent Showcase. These episodes will focus on people in marketing, communications, PR, and allied fields who are looking for the next opportunity. My guests will share their stories, successes, and how they can help their next employer or client. We have about five episodes lined up and today I'm joined by Ben Bradshaw. Ben is an experienced brand and marketing leader in energy and clean tech. He helps progressive businesses in the energy transition create a standout brand and marketing that powers profitable and sustainable growth. He has 25 years experience as a marketer in the UK energy and clean tech sectors and particular strengths in marcomms, brand, strategy, planning, insight for B2C, B2B corporations or startups. Ben has held head of marketing positions, transforming brands and building teams with a passion for sustainability, brand and culture. He's now seeking his next senior marketing role with an ambitious pioneer in the clean tech sector. Ben, welcome. Ben Bradshaw: Oh, well, good to meet you, Mark. Thank you very much for inviting me on the show. Mark: Yeah, it's great to have you here. So can you tell me about yourself, your background and career path beyond what I just shared with the audience? Ben: Yeah, sure. So as you said, I've been in the energy industry—UK-based—for over 25 years and I've got a personal passion in sustainability and got a career in marketing. Really I've brought those two interests of mine to create a career to support the growth of renewable, sustainability, clean technology. So we're talking about EV charging, solar panels, battery storage. And I'm really excited about the opportunity here because it's growing massively. And I, I was really involved in sustainability from the start from my environmental engineering over almost 30 years ago now. And I've already dedicated a career in supporting businesses to further their brand and to develop marketing to really grow, take up an interest in these new products and services. And I've worked in the last four years in early stage businesses, startups, establishing a marketing function a brand and a team within those businesses that are rapidly growing for the first time. So, really, for me, it's looking at my next opportunity. It'll be in the space of energy and clean technology. And I'm looking for head of marketing positions. And really helping those businesses power growth, whether they're early stage startups scale ups, or established corporations who are diversifying into sustainability services. Mark: And you're based in the UK. Ben: I'm based in the UK, I'm based in Nottingham but the hybrid working arrangement now means that where I could work is broadened out. Mark: So what is one of your most important career accomplishments, do you think? Ben: Well, I mean, I've been in the energy industry in the UK for, as I said, over 25 years and seen huge change moving from it being, you know, just gas and electricity powered by fossil fuels, all the way to, now, renewable energy and growth in that space. I've also seen huge change in terms of...

I've been away from podcasting for two-plus years. I miss it. I've been working as a CMO recently. But I'm returning to consulting. And now I'm ready dip my toe back in the world of CoaM. Over the past couple of years, I've had a blast. I've been on endless Zoom calls, talked with countelss people, shared stories about marketing, led events online (and finally in-person!), hosted webinars, shot too many videos, written thousands of emails, overseen campaigns, and talked with clients. I've learned a hell of a lot. I want to sahre some stories, talk to the industry's best people, solve some problems, and maybe rattle a few cages. Stay tuned in the coming weeks.

On this episode, we have Robyn Johnson, host of the Marketing Blueprint podcast and a world renowned Amazon Consultant and expert. Amazon is ever-present but can be a mystery. We learn about Robyn’s background, and then dig into how she thinks marketing on Amazon has changed for 2021, how COVID pushed brands to use Amazon, and how a retailer can prepare for using Amazon. Plus, Robyn demystifies how Amazon’s search and paid algorithms work and shares the keys to navigating fulfillment by Amazon. Then, we gaze into the future. Links of interest: Merchant WordsHelium 10SEMrush for Amazon

On the latest episode, we have Chris Dickey, founder and CEO of Visably, in to talk about multi-channel marketing for search. We find out all about Visably and moving the goal line from “How do I improve my website’s ranking in search?” to “How do I improve my brand’s ranking in search?” Plus, we learn why brand-owned websites are at such a disadvantage compared to ecommerce and media companies when it comes to search, and we find out how a brand can stack the search engine results pages. We pack lots more into this interview.

On this episode, we continue our two-part discussion about taking on a new role as a marketing leader. Joining me are Josh Martin and Auseh Britt. This time, we learn about the mentors Josh and Auseh turn to for advice--and we hear about the Slack communities Auseh uses actively. We also get a look at what the first 30-60 days were like in their new roles. Did they have a specific plan? And how did that work out? We find out. Gong // chorusWe also shift the discussion to B2B sales and what it takes to succeed. Then we round out the two parts by learning what it was like finding a new role in these strange times. And they share advice for listeners who are also in search of the next thing. A great way to start off the new year! Links to things we discussed: Matt HeinzChorusGong

On this episode, we start a two-part discussion about taking on a new role as a marketing leader. Joining me are Josh Martin, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Decision Lens, and Auseh Britt, Vice President of Growth Marketing at Terminus. They both joined their companies in 2020. Josh has been on a few times before talking about product marketing. Auseh is here for the first time. We discuss what it was like onboarding during Covid--the challenges, what worked well, and what (if anything) they would do differently. Plus, we look into the kind of training their new companies offered and what they did to prepare for their roles. To wrap up this episode, we chat about the biggest challenges they faced at their new companies. Great chat with two great marketers.

On the latest episode, Garnet and our guest host Lane Jost chat grit, behavior change and personal finance with Nav.it CMO and co-founder Maia Monell. The Nav.it app is an early stage product designed to coach users into financial wellness through an array of innovative tools designed to stimulate improved habits. We also hear about Maia's own founder story and how she connects sports to leadership and empathy.  Key read: Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance by Angela Duckworth

We have a bit of a change of pace for this episode. Back on episode 171, ten episodes ago in the long-ago days of early November, Leslie Zane and I were chatting as we got ready to record. And just as I hit the record button, she asked me a question. I’d heard it before, but never really answered it. So, here on this special episode, we share that short discussion. This one won’t take long. Before you know it, you’ll be back to your holiday festivities. Enjoy the chat.

On this episode, we have another visit with Ben Afia, who describes himself as The Language Strategist, with a goal of making companies more human—in their culture, brand and communications. Ben was one of the first to bring attention to tone of voice and now works with companies around the globe. I worked with him more than a decade ago on a tone of voice project and we’ve kept in touch ever since—in fact, he was an early guest on this podcast—on Episodes Three, Twenty Two, and Sixty One. Now we’re 180 episodes in, it’s great to have him back on. We talk about what words have to do with a brand and why they are important, what you can learn about a company’s values from their website, how to get everyone in a company using the same tone, and how to use the right words at the right time. A topic we discussed: Appreciative Inquiry More about Ben: Ben Afia on LinkedInBen’s website

On this episode, we welcome Jaclyn Schiff, founder of PodReacher, a “done-for-you” service that transforms podcast episodes into high-quality articles. Before starting PodReacher, Jaclyn worked as a journalist for leading healthcare publications in Washington, D.C. and Chicago and also served as director of communication for a global health research association. We dig into what PodReacher is all about, how podcasting fits into an overall content marketing strategy, how people should look at the content they produce in a podcast, the role of show notes, and repurposing episodes into articles and blog posts. We also get a glimpse into the future of podcasting. A few things we discussed: Brandon HuffardPodboxerVideo in Marketing As I look at my paltry show notes, it’s clear Jaclyn’s service is superior to anything I can do.

On the latest episode, we have Mike Maynard, managing director of Napier--a B2B PR and marketing agency based in the UK. Mike describes himself as a geek who loves talking about technology. We learn about his background and the path he took from engineer to marketer and then from in-house to agency. We also dig into the shift from siloed marketing to organizing around content development and content distribution, and why marketers often fail to get the ROI they expect from tools like marketing automation. Plus we have a discussion about account-based marketing fails and what it’s been like communicating with people during COVID-19. A fun chat with Mike.

On the latest episode, we have the founder of Right Side Up, Tyler Elliston, in for a discussion about growth marketing in the COVID era. Right Side Up is a collective of growth marketing specialists that have helped 200+ venture-backed tech companies hit their goals. They’ve worked with names such as Stitch Fix, DoorDash, Calm, Roman, Segment, Crunchbase, Faire, Wealthfront, Zenefits, and many earlier stage companies. We get a glimpse into Tyler’s background and what it’s been like working during COVID-19 (he and his family all got it and have recovered, which I was relieved to hear). We also dig into shifting product/market fit on a dime (we’ve all had to shift a bit this year, but some have shifted further and faster than others). Plus, we take a look into the future. This was a great, optimistic chat with a growth marketer of the highest order. Have fun!

On the latest episode, we’re sitting down once again with Amanda Slavin, co-founder of CatalystCreativ. Amanda is all about engagement—and I thought it might be interesting to chat about it in the wake of COVID-19. Since we last spoke, Amanda became a mother, so we find out all about that, plus we dig into how engagement has changed during COVID, how creative has been transformed, and what engagement might look like in the future. We touched on a lot more. As always with Amanda, this was a great chat. Listen closely. A few of the things we discussed: The Seventh Level: Transform Your Business Through Meaningful Engagement with Your Customers and EmployeesThe 5 Marketing Lessons We’ve Learned in 5 Years at CatalystCreativ“On Work” by Kahlil GibranHow’s the whole working from home thing going for you?Working From Home Is Amplifying Your Workplace Issues. Here’s How To Fix It.

We’ve talked to a lot of people on this podcast. But we’ve never talked to a fellow podcaster. Today we’re changing that with Dan Kihanya, host of the Founders Unfound podcast, which explores exceptional founders of African descent. Dan’s specialties include early-stage start-up strategies, fundraising, lean startup process, product-market fit, and customer growth. Among a long list of accomplishments, he’s the co-founder and Managing Director of Impact Hub Bellevue, and is the co-founder of MyPoints.com. In our chat, we learn about his background, get the inside story on his podcast, and what we can all do to change venture capital to see the possibilities presented by black entrepreneurs. In addition, we discuss the drive for the corporations to move capital into Black-owned banks and other community-based financial institutions. Of course, we also look into the future.  Links to a couple of things we discussed: The Humanity over Calamity t-shirt“Black founders are often over-mentored and under-invested,” says Monique Woodard, co-founder of Black Founders.