Giraffes Don't Eat Steak - for curious marketers who zig when others zag!

Stay on the Bus: Why Persistence Matters in Business and Storytelling - Ep.108. Join Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney as they welcome Chris Grimes to the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak podcast. Chris is a facilitator, coach, podcaster and self-described "motivational comedian" who has mastered the art of drawing powerful stories from people through his unique storytelling framework. In this e...

Mastering Zoom: Expert Tips on Virtual Backgrounds, Breakout Rooms, and Hidden Features Ep. 107 Join hosts Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney as they interview John Drinkwater, aka "Lord Zoom," to uncover game-changing Zoom features and techniques that most users don't know about. From mastering breakout rooms to creating professional-looking presentations, this episode is packed with pra...

Building Successful Memberships: Strategies for Recurring Revenue with Nathalie Doremieux - Ep. 106. In this insightful episode of the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak Podcast, hosts Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney welcome Nathalie Doremieux, co-founder of The Membership Lab and Podcast Leadflow. With 20 years of business experience, Nathalie shares her expertise on creating successful membership models...

How Your Team's Emotions Impact Customer Experience with Sarah Dena - Ep. 105 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Sarah Dena, Managing Director of New Wave Learning and founder of The Cultivators. Sarah introduces us to the Emotional Culture Deck, a powerful tool for understanding and leveraging emotions in the workplace. Sarah explains how emotions...

Why Your Business Needs a Nearbound Strategy: Referral Marketing Secrets Revealed with Dave Plunkett - Ep. 104. In this insightful episode of the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak podcast, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Dave Plunkett, a Nearbound Specialist who shares his expertise on transforming word-of-mouth marketing into a deliberate, strategic channel for business growth. Dave explains the concept...

Building a Sustainable Business: B Corp Certification Explained with Martin Knowles - Ep.103 Discover how B Corp certification is transforming businesses with Martin Knowles  from Sales Untangled. Learn practical sustainability strategies that go beyond greenwashing to create meaningful impact. Want to make your business more sustainable but don't know where to start? Listen now to get action...

The Future of Marketing and Sales: Real-World AI Applications with Mickael Aubard - Ep.102 In this illuminating episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome back Mickael Aubard to discuss AI's transformative impact on marketing workflows. Mickael shares how his work at AdManage.ai is saving media buyers hundreds of hours monthly by automating repetitive ad creation t...

Making Your Clients the Rock Star: B2B Sales Psychology | Giraffes Don't Eat Steak Ep. 101. Join Erica and Alex as they sit down with Ronald Gall, a veteran of the insurance industry and founder of a cutting-edge AI data transformation company. With over 20 years of experience in B2B sales, Ron shares his insights on reading the room, building lasting business relationships, and turning clien...

In this special 100th episode, hosts Alex Bilney and Erica Mackay take a journey through their favourite podcast moments. From the essential "Nail in the Foot" marketing theory to the importance of brand storytelling and niche targeting, they unpack the most impactful insights from their first 100 episodes. Key concepts covered include: • The difference between urgent and non-urgent cust...

Vulnerability in Business Development and Sales: Why Authenticity Beats Scripts Every Time - Ep.99 In this insightful conversation with business development expert James Slade, discover why showing vulnerability might be your strongest business asset. James shares his journey from selling gym memberships to advising Formula One engineers, revealing the psychology behind successful sales conversati...

Why Collaboration Marketing Works: Building Relationships Over Transactions with Gill Tiney Ep. 98 In this week's episode, Erica and Alex welcome Gill Tiney from Collaboration Global to discuss why most businesses waste resources marketing to audiences who will never buy from them. Discover how you can achieve better results by building relationships rather than chasing numbers. Gill shares p...

Building Meaningful Corporate-Charity Relationships with Caroline Sinclair of Ronald McDonald House Ep. 97 Discover how charities and businesses can create meaningful partnerships that benefit everyone. In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, Caroline Sinclair from Ronald McDonald House Charities UK shares insights on building effective corporate partnerships despite economic challenges....

Creating VIP Experiences for Every Guest: Champagne Festivals and Luxury Events Ep. 96 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Michela Gordon, Managing Director of Javelin, to discuss the extraordinary success of their champagne festivals in South Africa. From humble beginnings with just 15 champagne houses in a small room to now hosting elaborate events with...

Gaming Your Way to Better Business: How Roleplay Helps Build Better Businesses - Nick Drage - Ep. 95 In this fascinating episode, hosts Erica and Alex are joined by Nick Drage, a cybersecurity expert with a diverse portfolio career. They explore how a viral LinkedIn post experiment revealed insights about online engagement versus real connections, and Nick shares his approach to creating meaningfu...

Master Media Communication with Michael Dodd: Handling Tough Questions Like a Pro - Ep. 94 In this illuminating episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome communication expert Michael Dodd, a former journalist turned media trainer who specialises in helping people give great answers to tough questions. Michael shares his journey from being a political correspondent in A...

Design After Marketing: Why Your Brand Strategy Can't Stop at the Logo (with Simon Hutchings) Ep. 93 Your marketing is beautiful. Your logo converts. Your website is pixel-perfect. So why are clients quietly slipping away after they've signed on the dotted line? The answer lies in what design expert Simon Hutchings calls "design after marketing" - the moment when businesses sto...

Virtual Assistant Reality Check: What They Can Do vs What You Think They Can Do - Ep. 92 Here's the thing about virtual assistants - most people get it completely wrong. They hire a VA expecting them to magically generate leads and run their entire marketing strategy. That's not how it works. In this episode, Carmen Williams from Global Teams breaks down the real truth about working with...

Clear Brief on One Page - Why Most Design Projects Fail Before They Start | Ep. 91 Mark Wojcicki has been a graphic designer for over 40 years. At nearly 65, he's returned to his first love - fine art - and he's applying everything he knows about marketing to sell his work. The result? 10 commissions lined up and multiple sales from his first exhibition. In this episode, Mark shares how...

Stop Making Explainer Videos Until You Watch This! | B2B Video Marketing Truth - Ep.90 Most B2B explainer videos are expensive failures. Here's why - and how to fix yours. Chris Walker from Joe Mule joins Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney to expose the brutal truth about B2B video marketing. After 20 years creating videos for tech, SaaS and finance companies, Chris reveals why most businesses comp...

How to Stand Out on Social Media with the Canva Queen - Stephanie Wium | Episode 89 Ever feel like your social media graphics look exactly like everyone else's? You're probably using Canva templates wrong! Join Erica as she chats with Stephanie Wium, the self-proclaimed "Canva Queen" and official Canva Community Ambassador. Stephanie shares her journey from soul-destroying VA w...

Stop Wasting Money on Cheap Pens: The Psychology of Promotional Merchandise - Ep. 88 What if everything you thought you knew about promotional merchandise was wrong? In this eye-opening episode, Gary Bucci from GB Merchandise (27 years in the industry) completely reframes how we should think about promotional products. Forget asking "what can I get for £100?" - Gary explains why that&apo...

Are You A Prime Hacking Target - Here's How to Protect You And Your Business | Francis West - Ep. 87 - and it's not your content that's the problem! In this eye-opening episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, cybersecurity expert Francis West  reveals why marketing agencies are prime targets for hackers and how new email security requirements from Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft coul...

The Marketing-to-Product Manager Pivot: Building Digital Products That Scale - Ep. 86. Join Erica and Alex as they reunite with former colleague Eszter Somogyi-Vass, who made the successful transition from marketing to product management at Profession.hu, Hungary's leading job board. What You'll Learn: How marketing skills translate perfectly to product management The key differences bet...

Accidental Branding: Is Your Business Sending the Wrong Signals? Ep. 85. Are you building an "accidental brand" that's working against your business goals? In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, marketing experts Erica and Alex speak with brand specialist Nikki Shield about how businesses unknowingly create brand impressions that don't align with their true personali...

Building Trust and Finding Sellers: Real Estate Marketing with Sandy Graham - Ep. 84. Welcome back to Giraffes Don’t Eat Steak, the podcast serving up marketing wisdom, business stories and a side of inspiration for anyone looking to up their game.  In today’s episode, Alex and Erica are joined by special guest Sandy Graham, a real estate expert based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a longtime...