Brand. Bank. Build.

Why do we do this? Not just "running a business," but the day-to-day work of marketing and money? In a world that feels heavy and uncertain, it’s easy to lose the spark. This week, Terra and Karen flip the script and get personal about what actually inspires them to keep showing up—even when they’re bored, frustrated, or staring down a blank screen. Terra talks about the magic of steppin...

Terra and Karen talk about building a business during ongoing uncertainty, discussing how social media has become emotionally stressful and harder for marketing as algorithms amplify extreme content and global events dominate feeds. They explore how brands can navigate this by leaning into authenticity, compassion, values, and careful copywriting; sometimes slowing or pausing posts and ads; and th...

In this episode of Brand Bank Build, hosts Terra and Karen explore the significant role gender plays in branding and visibility, particularly on LinkedIn. They discuss a recent experiment where women changed their gender to male on LinkedIn and saw a dramatic increase in engagement and impressions. They share their personal experiences with the experiment, outline the broader implications for auth...

In this episode of Brand Bank Build, Terra and Karen dive into the crucial intersection of branding and finance in building a strong, sustainable business mindset. They discuss the common financial misconception of branding as an optional expense and emphasize the often unseen but significant return on investment that branding activities can provide.  With examples like Coca-Cola and Jaguar, they...

In this episode of Brand Bank Build, hosts Terra and Karen explore how sustainability relates to finance and marketing in building a strong, ethical business.  They emphasize the role of authenticity and transparent communication in marketing sustainable initiatives.  The conversation also highlights the evolving consumer preferences, particularly among millennials, for sustainable products and th...

Are you spending money, or investing in your future? Is that software subscription draining your budget, or driving your growth? And when was the last time you hired help that actually helped? If you've ever wrestled with the guilt of outsourcing or hesitated to spend on support, this episode is your permission slip to think differently. In this episode of Brand Bank Build, CFO Karen Stephen a...

The Reality Check Episode: Evaluating Your Business and Marketing StrategiesIn this episode of Brand Bank Build, let’s have a chat about the importance of evaluating your business and marketing efforts to ensure sustainable growth. We’ll share insights on the significance of data, the necessity of consistent marketing, and the value of understanding your target audience. The episode also includes...

Unlocking the Power of Newsletter Sequences for Your Business Join CMO Terra and CFO Karen in this episode of Brand Bank Build as they talk about the transformative power of setting up newsletter sequences to enhance your marketing and finance efforts. Terra shares her expertise on creating automated email sequences that save time and ensure valuable content reaches all your subscribers, regardles...

CFO Karen and CMO Terra explore the pivotal role of money mindset in business growth. With over 25 years of experience in finance and marketing, they discuss four key money mindset archetypes: the hoarder, the avoidant, the worshiper, and the status seeker.  Karen shares how these mindsets affect business decisions and gives practical strategies for shifting toward a more productive money mindset....

Brand Bank Build is a different kind of podcast. We record episodes that feel like coaching sessions.  But we also offer live Office Hours so you can get your questions answered. On May 8, Terra Milo (CMO) and Karen Stephen (CFO) opened the floor to your questions. Here is our conversation. We reviewed key lessons from our first 2 episodes on pricing and why repetition isn’t redundant… then dove i...

We mean this with love... nobody cares. In this episode, Terra and Karen discuss common marketing challenges business owners face, with a specific focus on the misconception of 'bothering' potential customers with frequent messages. Terra reassures that people are generally not keeping track of every newsletter or social media post, emphasizing the importance of repetition in marketing. Th...

 Finance and marketing represent the backbone of your business, and when these two powers combine, you get so much information on how to run your business effectively and efficiently. We'll release one episode per month and sprinkle in some live Q&A episodes.  Together, we have 25 years of experience supporting businesses of all sizes so we're going to cut to the chase and be honest ab...

In this introductory episode of 'Brand, Bank, Build,' hosts Terra and Karen explore the complex topic of pricing for businesses. Drawing from over 25 years of collective experience in marketing and finance, they discuss the importance of understanding market conditions, customer expectations, and personal value when setting prices. The discussion covers practical tips such as competitor an...