More than a Few Words

You know the feeling - you're staring at a blank screen, desperately searching for inspiration. The creative well has run dry, and no matter how hard you try, you just can't seem to come up with any fresh, innovative ideas. Been there, done that, right? Well, my friend, the solution is simpler than you might think. Just like your car needs gas to keep going, your creative engine needs a little fue...

If you’re trying to grow your business, one of the best places to go is where other businesses hang out—and that’s LinkedIn. But maybe you’re there already and just not getting the results you want. That’s exactly where Deanna Russo, founder of Leverage Up, comes in. Deanna took her LinkedIn following from a modest 400 to an impressive 30,000 and counting. She joined me to share her best tips for...

As a small business owner or consultant, creating consistent marketing content can feel like yet another task on your already long to-do list. That’s why I invited Sally Loftus, an expert in human resources and organizational improvement, to share her practical approach to using themes to simplify content creation. By organizing her marketing around key topics tied to her work, she developed a sys...

On a cold rush hour morning, a good looking man, dressed in jeans and a baseball cap walked into a train station, carrying a violin case. He opened the case, dropped a few dollars in to encourage others to do the same.  Over the next 45 minutes, he earned less than $35 for his performance.  Most people simply walked by, barely stopping to listen to the classical violin piece, played flawlessly by...

What if managing your marketing was  more like hosting a party? That’s the premise behind the Party Principle, a concept Dave Charest of Constant Contact shared with me. As someone who loves both a good metaphor and a well-organized shindig, this approach clicked immediately. Social media becomes the lively main event, email is the cozy afterparty, and SMS? That’s your VIP lounge, reserved for you...

From The Archive -  Online advertising can feel like navigating a dense forest without a map—especially for businesses trying to sell nationally without the resources of big-name competitors. That’s why I invited Krystal Covington,  to share her expertise. Originally released in September 2022, Krystal's tips are still relevant today.  Together, we explored how businesses can use geo-targeting and...

I teach marketing at a local university, and this week I was talking to my students about Ansoff's Marketing Matrix. In this structure, he identifies four ways that you can grow your business. 1) Sell more of what you're already selling to your existing customers. 2) Sell more of what you're selling, but to new customers. 3) Develop a brand new product and sell that to your existing customers. 4)...

Whether you’re running a business, managing a nonprofit, or just trying to share your message with the world  a good story is the key to connecting with people. Stories bring ideas to life, giving them color and shape that facts and figures alone just can’t match. That’s why I was so excited to chat with Shaté Hayes .   She is a creative strategist with a fascinating background as a professional d...

In this episode, I sat down with Johnny Cooper to tackle a big question: Who is your ideal client? If you’re like most business owners, you’ve probably wrestled with this at some point, worrying about whether narrowing your focus means missing out on other opportunities. Johnny, who runs the popular community Johnny Hates Marketing, had a refreshingly straightforward take on the subject. With his...

 You probably don’t want to hear this. I’m going to do it SEO wrong. You’re spending all your time focused on what search engines want, worrying about stuffing your pages with keywords, inbound links, and outbound links. But search engines don’t buy from you, people do So I want you to think about SEO differently. Start focusing on content that answers questions real people have about your product...

Sometimes, managing social media can feel like you are on a hamster wheel. As a small business owner you’re running fast, but it doesn't seem as if you are getting anywhere? In my chat with Peg Fitzpatrick, we focused on simple and practical tips.  From rethinking which platforms are worth your time to using Pinterest as a hidden traffic booster,  we covered a lot of ground in just 10 minutes   He...

I know you own your own business. You're in there working it all the time, but I'm going to let you in on a secret, smart business owners don't do it alone, we. We find partners who are focused on the same markets and have similar objectives. Sometimes that's an interview on a podcast, and sometimes it's collaborating on a bundle. I wanted to know more about what makes bundles so effective, so I s...

I've noticed lately that no matter what social platform I'm on there is lots of video.  There are video shorts and more video and more video. Obviously it's being driven by the rise of TikTok as every other platform is trying to get in on that short format and the shorts are great. They get a lot of engagement. And so it becomes a little addictive. The more you do, the more engagement you get ... ...

Every message you send shapes your brand—make it count Chris Moore and I explored the importance of crafting communication that aligns with your company’s vision. Chris is a leadership expert who has spent over 25 years guiding both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses toward building strong, results-driven cultures. As he explains, every message you send—whether it’s to a customer, employee...

Your vibe attracts your tribe. Show up with purpose every day. Chatting with Jaclyn Strominger had me rethinking what it means to build genuine connections with an audience. Her energy is infectious, and her insights are spot on. In her decades of coaching, she’s seen one thing over and over: real business growth isn’t about flashy marketing tactics or big ad budgets—it’s about the vibe you put ou...

These days, content has jumped off the page. There are podcasts, there are videos and pros and cons to those formats. You don't have to worry about your grammar and your spelling. You can just talk and that's great. And, you can let a little bit of your personality come through. But there is a line.  As I listen to podcasts, I listen for that line. Is there a moment where they go from sharing a li...

Do you ever find yourself lying awake, thinking of all the things you need to do tomorrow? Elizabeth Louis, neuropsychology expert and mindset coach, has a solution. In this conversation  she breaks down why planning your day the night before is a game-changer, especially for high achievers who can’t seem to switch off.  Along the way she shares practical tools to stay focused, adapt to change, an...

Sitting down with Robert Downey, CEO of Simply Be Found, I discovered a new way of looking at AI—not just as a marketing tool, but as a powerful sales ally. We dove into how AI can help small businesses boost their local SEO, streamline social media efforts, and make the most of website content. Robert’s insights on AI’s role in digital marketing made me think back to the early days of the interne...

Some of the content that's doing really well on LinkedIn right now are the multi image posts putting together two or three related images and putting that in your feed like a carousel or just a collage really grabs the attention because it's different than the single images that everyone else is putting out there. Those multiple images allow you to tell a more complete story. The second thing that...

I had so much fun welcoming back Kendra Corman back to the show.  An accomplished marketing strategist whose insights are as practical as they are powerful. Kendra’s worked with everyone from small businesses to global brands like Jeep, bringing her marketing expertise to a range of clients. Today, we dug into the ever-evolving world of AI and how it can be a real game-changer for social media and...

If you've been around business as long as I have—or even half as long—you know the cycles are inevitable. There are highs, there are lows, and the real question is: how prepared are you for the downturns? That’s the heart of this conversation from my archive, with  than Matt Nettleton, a sales powerhouse and founder of DTB Sandler Training. Matt’s seen it all, from both the trenches and the boardr...

If you are like me, you work hard to get a prospect. There's marketing to get them interested and usually a series of conversations and proposal before you close the sale. So when you have an interested prospect, it is hard to let go, but sometimes you should. Years ago I was approached by the marketing manager at a fairly large company looking to outsource some of their work to a smaller firm, li...

I had a chance to sit down with Facebook ad expert Carol Kabaale to demystify Meta's advertising platform. Whether you’re a social media newbie or someone who’s been burned by past ad campaigns, Carol offers practical advice on how to navigate the Meta algorithm and create ads that actually work. As an advocate for women entrepreneurs, Carol breaks it down step by step, making Facebook ads less in...

In this episode from the archive, the topic is mentors, how to find one and how to be one. Why? Because even if we think that we're running our business' completely on our own it helps to have people to turn to for advice and information. That is why I loved chatting with Kate Bradley Chernis,  about the transformative role of mentors in business. Kate’s journey—from rock-and-roll DJ to brand-buil...

Are you taking advantage of the LinkedIn newsletter tool? If not, you're missing a huge opportunity. Sure, you've been creating newsletters for years and you have your audience. But there are people you are connected to on LinkedIn who will never subscribe to your newsletter. By taking that same content and moving it to this platform, you have an opportunity to deliver your message to a much wider...