Strategic Counsel by ForthRight Business

More often than not, brand identity in the B2B space is overlooked and the lack of attention and action is a huge miss. We are NOT suggesting you stop everything to build your brand. Whether you need to take a look at the 3 foundational questions to set your brand up for success and build alongside what you are already doing, or are just getting started, join us and special guest Dave Necessary of...

Why is Brand-Love important? 90% of decisions are made from the heart. As consumers, we are constantly inundated. Setting your business apart from the competition requires you to emotionally connect to your consumers. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear real-world examples from our “In the Trenches” section. Don’t miss the full episode here.

Problem solving is a skill we need in all aspects of business and life. The better we get at it, the quicker and more efficient we become - leading to the results we want. Become a better problem solver by investigating possible solutions with a time limit, analyzing the options against the goals, enlisting the help of the RIGHT others, and testing-and-learning to optimize the solution. Let’s solv...

Franchising can be the gateway to entrepreneurship, a career change, or a way to diversify your investments. This Quick Hit brings you special guest Lance Graulich, Founder of ION Franchising, to discuss 2 important steps in your franchising journey. Make sure to listen to the full episode here.

Procrastination is something we all struggle with…eventually. No matter how hard we try, there are still things on our list we avoid and keep pushing back. How do you get over that procrastination hump? Admit you’re procrastinating, do one thing to get the ball rolling and then do another thing, don’t start multiple things at the same time, and reward yourself for overcoming procrastination. Let’s...

Our world is inundated with highly popular short-form content: podcasts, blogs, video, and social media. Is there a role for books anymore? The answer is YES! We welcome Nikki Nash, the author and creator of the Market Your Genius brand, to discuss why writing a book is still important and how to use it to your advantage - especially in establishing credibility for your POV and generating leads fo...

We encourage respectful debate. It has an ability to pull different POVs, expertise, and beliefs - and that can be a great thing for your business. BUT, there’s an art to it. You can disagree without being contentious by taking responsibility for your current set of beliefs and assumptions, knowing when you are being objective or subjective, not letting it get personal, and defining and consistent...

Many of us have found ourselves or seen someone trying to strong-arm those around them in order to push their agenda - either overtly or through crafty manipulation. There’s only one way to create relationships that lead to reaching your goals and dreams, and that’s through influencing conversations. This Quick Hit gives you 2 out of 4 points based on our personal experience. Hear all the details...

An impactful brand toolkit is one of the most important things you can create for your business. But it’s just the logo, font, and colors, correct? Nope - it’s MUCH more than that. An impactful brand toolkit must include both visual and verbal elements, builds consistency with sample executions, and does not have to mean you overhaul what currently exists. We've done some version of a toolkit for...

What exactly is SEO (Search Engine Optimization), how do you do it, and how can you make it work for you? We were joined by guest Steve Wiideman, CEO of Wiideman Consulting Group, who specializes in SEO consulting, training, strategy, and procurement. In this Quick hit, hear a summary of our 4 points to consider, plus our “In the Trenches” section. Make sure to catch the full-length episode here.

Content is king. The digital ecosystem is the castle. How do you transform your digital presence to reinvigorate your livelihood and drive results for your business? It comes down to getting clear on what’s working and optimizing on it, making sure you’re geared to convert, diversifying your content, and prioritizing the experience. We wanted you to learn from an incredible resource in the digital...

As a leader, your image and reputation are paramount to commanding the respect you need to influence. There are certain characteristics that show up more consistently in women that can lead to significant challenges. This Quick Hit gives you the 1st of 4 characteristics. Make sure to listen to the full jam-packed episode here.

Where’s advertising heading in the future? No one knows for sure. But we have a pretty good idea it will center on human connections, require a carefully curated advertising mix, utilize the storytelling of influencers, and focus on systemic tensions over short-term trends. We wanted you to hear from the best of the best when it comes to advertising, so we welcomed on Sascha Lock. He’s the SVP, Me...

It’s so important to create your brand’s Tone of Voice (TOV). But, effectively carrying it across all marketing channels and types of communication can be tricky. In this Quick Hit, we give you the first 2 of 4 points to consider. Be sure to catch the full episode here.

Do you need to have an in-person office to have a creative culture? We think not. In fact, we believe a hybrid work environment may just be the best way to stimulate creativity. Foster a creative culture in a hybrid work environment by creating channels and forums for ongoing creative downloads, soliciting creative insights and ideas, forming creativity pods, and realizing the creative process sta...

Effectively marketing to different cultures is part of our day-to-day. There’s always an opportunity to be more mindful of cultural nuances. To lead this discussion, we welcomed on a marketing to cultures expert, Doni Aldine, Founder of Culturs magazine and an expert in cross-cultural communications. This Quick Hit brings you the summary of our 4 points and an In-the-Trenches question. Make sure t...

The Hero. The Caregiver. The Everyman. You might have heard of brand archetypes. But what actually are they? And how do you use them effectively? Brand archetypes emerge from a sound understanding of the brand, and most brands have more than one archetype. You can use them effectively by aligning on their use within your organization and investing in tools to bring them to life. It can be a diffic...

Are you struggling to close customers/clients/consumers like you think you should be? Accomplishing this is rooted in branding and marketing. This Quick Hit will help you take your branding and marketing to the next level by giving you 2 of the 4 tactical approaches to do so. Make sure to get all 4 points in the full episode here.

The fundamentals of leadership remain the same, no matter your level. Lead at any level by believing you’re a leader, having a POV, having followers, and testing-and-learning your leadership practice. There are also some characteristics that can sometimes get in the way of us being the leaders we were meant to be. Find out what they are, and what to do about them. And as always, if you need help i...

David Spray, Podcaster (Podcasting Stories) and Entrepreneur, joins us for this Quick Hit to discuss the latest marketing channel to emerge: business podcasting. Businesses are finding podcasting a more flexible and authentic format for translating their Brand Story in order to build culture internally or grow reputation and credibility externally. Listen to the full episode here.

Referrals. They build businesses. But how do you get them, over and over again? It comes down to creating specific KPIs for your referral funnel, creating a sense of urgency around the KPIs, providing tools for making the referral easy, and making all steps and connection points authentic to the target. We wanted you to learn from a true expert at creating effective referral funnels, so we welcome...

Have you ever been in a meeting where no one seems to have it all under control? Balls are dropped and details are missed? This is where the Project Manager (PM) comes into play. In this Quick Hit, we give you the first two tips on what makes a good PM. Make sure to catch the full episode here.

Writing is an endlessly useful skill in the business world. It can greatly help your ability to persuade, influence, and gain advocacy. Become a compelling writer by writing for your reader, finding your voice, focusing on structure, and proofreading. We wanted you to learn from the best of the best when it comes to business writing, so we welcomed on Scott Keyser. He’s The Writing Guy and the Aut...

On this show and in our coaching, we talk A LOT about what it means to show up, build a presence, and make yourself memorable. This can be in person, on screen, or on video. We sometimes tend to focus too much on what other people think and forget to be our authentic, confident selves. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear guest Keri Murphy of Inspired Living. Make sure to listen to the full episode here...

The interview process has become more and more important in recent years. You need to interview effectively so you can land top talent and pass on the wrong fits. Land top talent by asking them to give their elevator pitch, giving them an assignment in real time, having them meet with multiple people, and forcing them to ask questions. We’ve interviewed hundreds of candidates over the years, and w...