Growth-Minded Marketing

What if the biggest thing holding your business back is you? In this episode of The Growth-Minded Marketing Podcast, Steve Phipps and AnnieLaurie Walters sit down with Chris Riggins, founder of Riggins Painting, to explore what it takes to grow from a one-person operation to a scalable business. Starting with a high-mileage truck and a set of hand tools in 2009, Chris built a thriving company by l...

Most business owners think about charitable giving the same way: write a check, take the deduction, move on. But Len Hardison, Executive Director of the Memphis office of National Christian Foundation (NCF), has spent years helping families and business owners discover a fundamentally different approach. In this episode of the Growth Minded Marketing Podcast, Len joins hosts AnnieLaurie Walters an...

Most B2B marketing fails—not from lack of effort, but lack of a system. Here’s how to fix it. In this episode, you'll learn:  Why doing “more marketing” isn’t the same as having a system   The real reason most B2B marketing efforts fail (tactics before strategy)   What a marketing system actually is—and how it differs from campaigns   The 5 core components every effective marketing system needs   ...

Do you actually know how much your company should be spending on marketing — not what you spent last year, not a gut feeling, but a number tied to where you want to go? If the answer is "not really," this episode is for you. In this conversation, Wayfind Marketing CEO Steve Phipps pulls back the curtain on one of the most common questions he gets from B2B leaders: How much should we be investing i...

Mason Cosby didn't ease into entrepreneurship. He launched Scrappy ABM three weeks before becoming a dad, and what followed was a masterclass in building fast, breaking things, and having the integrity to fix them — even when it hurt. In two and a half years, Mason grew Scrappy ABM to $4.5M in total revenue, but he's just as candid about the $450K in mistakes he made along the way — bad-fit client...

If AI in marketing is feeling overwhelming right now, here's the good news — you don't have to do everything. You just need to do the right things in the right order. In Part 2 of this series, Steve Phipps and AnnieLaurie Walters get practical. Now that you understand how AI has changed buyer behavior, it's time to talk about what to actually do about it — and what can safely wait. Missed Part 1?...

If your buyers are using AI to research, shortlist, and quietly eliminate companies — and they are — the real question isn't whether AI has changed marketing. The real question is whether your business is clear enough to survive the way buying decisions are being made today. In Part 1 of this two-part series, Steve Phipps and AnnieLaurie Walters cut through the AI noise and get grounded in what's...

How Carolyn Michael-Banks turned a tourism vision into a mission-driven company that educates and inspires. In this episode, you'll learn: How Carolyn Michael-Banks founded A Tour of Possibilities to educate and empower through African-American history Why resilience and innovation helped her business survive and evolve through COVID-19 The bold decisions she made to stay mission-focused—even when...

Likes don’t grow revenue. Learn which marketing metrics actually drive business growth—and which to ignore. In this episode, you'll learn: Why vanity metrics like page views and likes often mislead marketing decisions How AI is changing the way people engage with content—and your website traffic The difference between feel-good stats and KPIs that actually move the needle A simple test CEOs can us...

In this episode of Growth Minded Marketing , host Steve Phipps sits down with Courtney Jones and Amy Bingham, co-founders of Oh Grate — a meal solution company born from their desire to make family dinner easier. What started as a front-porch side hustle has grown into a thriving brand serving families across West Tennessee and North Mississippi. Courtney and Amy share how they built a business ar...

CRS CPAs didn’t grow from five employees to a 50-person, multi-office firm by accident. CEO Fancher Sargent shares the leadership decisions, hard conversations, and moments of clarity that helped the firm navigate change, overcome limiting beliefs, and build a business aligned around mission, values, and purpose. In this episode, you'll learn: How CRS CPAs grew from a 5-person firm to a 50-person,...

Douglas Skipworth shares how service-first leadership creates purpose, clarity, and sustainable business growth. Hosted by Steve Phipps , CEO of Wayfind Marketing , this episode of the Growth Minded Marketing Podcast explores how purpose-driven leadership can scale impact and align strategy. In this episode, you'll learn: Why Douglas Skipworth believes business is the best place to do meaningful w...

AI can help you scale your content—but without a plan, it leads to chaos, not results. In this episode of Growth-Minded Marketing, we dive into a question every business leader should be asking: Is AI truly helping your marketing—or is it just helping you create more noise, faster? Host Steve Phipps reveals why strategy—not speed—is the most important variable in today’s AI-driven marketing enviro...

Leadership, Culture, and Honest Sales: A Conversation with Jonathan Torres What if your company’s culture was your greatest sales and marketing tool? CEO Jonathan Torres shares how aligning vision, values, and strategy leads to growth with purpose. This episode is packed with real talk on leadership, honest sales, and building a business that actually lives its values. Summary In this episode, you...

What happens when a new CEO steps into a decades-old business? Tyler Whitney, CEO of Mid-South Safety Services, shares how he reshaped the company through rebranding, clarifying its value proposition, leveraging market tailwinds, and building a strong people strategy. His insights offer practical takeaways for CEOs looking to scale with clarity and purpose.  This episode is part of our CEO Intervi...

What happens when a teenager turns a side hustle into a thriving business? David Perdue, founder and owner of Greenview Landscape Services, shares how he launched his company in high school and scaled it into a 26-person commercial operation. In this conversation with host Steve Phipps, David breaks down his journey of grit, mentorship, and purpose. He reveals the leadership lessons that shaped hi...

AI is redefining how buyers search. Learn how to adapt your marketing to get cited in AI-generated answers. In this episode, you'll learn: What Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is and how it differs from traditional SEO Why optimizing for AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot is critical for visibility The pivotal role of schema markup and how to easily assess your website's implementatio...

Tired of scrambling for leads? A marketing coach can help you build a real strategy. In this episode of the Growth Minded Marketing Podcast, hosts Steve Phipps and AnnieLaurie Walters delve into the importance of marketing coaching for businesses feeling stuck in their marketing efforts. They discuss the pitfalls of relying on disconnected tactics and the need for cohesive marketing leadership. Th...

You’ve got the GUIDE™ Framework—now what? In this “Ask the Coach” episode, Steve and AnnieLaurie answer the real-world marketing questions that come up as business leaders turn marketing strategy into action. From personas to KPIs to content that actually works, you’ll walk away with practical tips and renewed clarity to keep your marketing moving.  In this episode, you'll learn: How to identify y...

When was the last time you asked, “Is our marketing actually working?” In the final episode of our GUIDE ™ Marketing Framework series, we unpack the power of evaluation. You’ll learn how to measure the right metrics, track ROI, optimize with intention, and build a repeatable review rhythm that helps you scale with confidence. Whether you’re a CEO or a marketing lead, this episode will give you the...

👋 New to the podcast? Click here to start with Episode 1   and learn how the GUIDE Marketing Framework begins. Each episode builds on the last—so it’s worth going back to the beginning if you want the full picture. What if your sales team doesn’t need more leads—they just need better alignment? In this episode of the Growth-Minded Marketing Podcast , Steve Phipps and Annie Laurie Walters unpack t...

📝 Show Notes  In this episode of the Growth-Minded Marketing Podcast , hosts Steve Phipps and Annie Laurie Walters explore the “I” in the GUIDE™ Marketing Framework: Inform with Content. They share how smart, strategic content can function like a trustworthy sales team—educating your buyers, answering their questions, and building confidence before a sales call even happens. 👋 Missed the previou...

🎙️ Episode 3: Is Your Website Earning Its Keep? How to Upgrade Your Online Presence In this episode of the Growth-Minded Marketing Podcast , hosts Steve Phipps and Annie Laurie Walters dive into the "U" in the GUIDE™ Marketing Framework: Upgrade Your Online Presence . 💡 New to the GUIDE Framework? Start with Episode 1 to get the full overview before diving in. If your website were a salesperson,...

In this episode of the Growth Minded Marketing Podcast , hosts Annie Laurie Walters and Steve Phipps dive into the first step of the GUIDE™ Marketing Framework —Generate Your Story and Strategy. If you're a B2B business leader relying on random tactics, referrals, or sheer hope to grow, this episode is your wake-up call. You’ll learn how to build a real marketing strategy that drives clarity, alig...

🎙️ Episode 1: Why Your Marketing Isn’t Working (And What to Do About It) Welcome to the first episode of the Growth-Minded Marketing Podcast ! Hosts Steve Phipps and AnnieLaurie Walters kick things off by tackling a challenge many B2B business leaders face: marketing that feels scattered, unclear, or ineffective. They introduce the GUIDE™ Marketing Framework—a five-part approach designed to bring...