Do This First Podcast

Onboarding might be the most underrated part of your business. In Part 2, Elizabeth digs into what happens after someone says yes — the systems, communication, and expectations that set the tone for the entire working relationship.

The client experience starts before they sign the contract, and most business owners are fumbling it from the first touchpoint. In Part 1, Elizabeth breaks down the full client journey — what your clients are feeling at each stage and how to make a great first impression that sticks.

Joel Miller is the co-founder of The Sky Floor, a two-person marketing agency he's run with his identical twin brother for 17 years — no employees, value-based pricing, and double-digit growth by staying deliberately small. In this episode: the fastest way to grow isn't hiring a client, it's firing one. Joel explains why the wrong-fit client isn't your problem — they're a tax on every better clien...

Creating a month's worth of content in less than a day is possible — if you stop creating from scratch every time. Elizabeth walks through the 24 Days of Content framework: a batching system that gives you a full month of posts, emails, and blog material in one focused session.

Wes Towers is the founder of Uplift 360, an Australian digital agency helping trades, construction and industrial brands clarify their message online. In this short episode, Wes shares a simple shadow-work-inspired exercise to uncover what makes a business truly different by first exploring what frustrates them most about their industry. Learn more at: https://uplift360.com.au

An overflowing inbox isn't just annoying — it's actively costing you clients and opportunities. Elizabeth shares her system for achieving inbox zero (yes, really) and keeping it there, so your email becomes a tool that works for you instead of a second job http://GetAbsoluteMarketing.com

Guest host Andrew Colsky joins the podcast for a conversation about the mindset and strategy shifts that help small business owners stop second-guessing themselves and start making decisions that actually move their business forward.

Business doesn't go wrong on a schedule, and how you respond in a crisis says everything about your brand. Elizabeth talks about what to do when things fall apart — with clients, contractors, tech, or life — and how to handle it in a way you'll be proud of.

Your link in bio is working harder — or not at all — depending on how you set it up. Elizabeth breaks down the strategy behind link-in-bio pages, what to include, what to ditch, and how to turn that single link into a traffic funnel that actually converts.

AI writing tools have arrived, and the small business world is trying to figure out what to do with them. Elizabeth talks about the Clippy comeback moment we're living through, how to use AI tools without losing your voice, and where human-generated content still wins.

Your home office might be costing you more in productivity than it's saving in rent. Elizabeth explores the case for alternative workspaces — coworking spaces, coffee shops, client offices — and how changing where you work can dramatically change how you work.

Startup fatigue doesn't just hit at the beginning — it comes in waves. Elizabeth revisits the topic with fresh eyes and new context, talking about what triggers it after you've been in business for a while and the updated strategies that work when you're no longer a beginner.

Affiliate marketing gets oversold as passive income and underdelivered on as an actual strategy. Elizabeth tells the truth about what affiliate marketing can realistically produce for small business owners and how to build it into your marketing without it becoming another thing that takes over your time

The website platform debate that never ends. Elizabeth lays out the real differences between WordPress and Squarespace for small business owners — not the technical comparison, but the practical one — and makes a clear recommendation based on what she's seen work.

Elizabeth looks at the marketing trends that defined 2022 and what's carrying into 2023 — cutting through the hype to identify what actually matters for small business owners and what you can safely ignore.

Jess Joswick joins Elizabeth to push back on the transactional way most people think about marketing — put in content, get out clients. Jess makes the case for a more human, relationship-driven approach that actually builds something sustainable.

Ads are not a magic solution, and most small business owners who are disappointed in their ad results made the same predictable mistakes. Elizabeth shares the truth about what ads can and can't do, when they make sense, and what you have to have in place before you spend a dollar.

Gratitude as a business practice isn't soft — it's strategic. Elizabeth shares a reflection on what she's genuinely thankful for in her business and why cultivating a specific kind of gratitude can shift the way you make decisions, treat clients, and show up every day.

Burnout doesn't announce itself — it creeps up while you're busy being productive. Elizabeth talks about the strategic value of taking a time out: stepping back intentionally so you can come back with clarity, energy, and a plan that actually makes sense.

Branded content is the difference between forgettable posts and a recognizable presence. Elizabeth walks through what branded content actually means for a small business, how to develop it without a creative team, and why consistency in content is your best branding tool.

When you compete in someone else's category, you'll always be compared on their terms. Elizabeth explains how to create your own category — positioning so distinct that comparison becomes irrelevant and you become the obvious, only choice.

Time is the resource every small business owner says they don't have enough of — but most of us aren't actually tracking where it goes. Elizabeth talks about the story we tell ourselves about time and the practical reframes that actually free more of it up.

Neil Heckman joins Elizabeth for a conversation about the business and mindset shifts that come with stepping into real leadership — the kind that happens whether you have a team or you're still flying solo.

You can have the best service in your market and still be invisible to the people who need you. Elizabeth talks about visibility as a marketing skill — how to build it deliberately and consistently, without performing for an algorithm or becoming someone you're not.

You've been thinking about it long enough. Elizabeth strips away all the excuses and walks through what it actually takes to start a podcast — the gear, the workflow, the plan — so you can stop overthinking and start recording.