The Smart Marketer Podcast

Which books have helped you grow personally and professionally? In this new segment of #NotBusiness, John and Molly discuss the books that have had the biggest impact on their professional growth. You'll learn what Molly reads every year to refuel her creativity, the book that helped John prepare for his new role at Smart Marketer, and more insights they've picked up across years of reading. From...

Why should you invest in product creation and remodeling? Molly and John just launched Smart Marketer's new mentorship program and it was one of their most successful product launches to date. Why? Because they innovated. To promote Train My Social Media Manager, they used a next-level lead magnet to deliver tremendous value and attract warm and cold audiences alike, earning them super low CPAs de...

How do you prepare for the day ahead? In this episode, our hosts Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw share their 7 best tips for staying productive, energized, and efficient throughout the day. They discuss topics like scheduling tactics, hosting ZOOM meetings, half-day Fridays, and smiling (until it hurts). Use these 7 tips to help support good habits and conquer the day! YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!  He...

What are the pros and cons of selling on Amazon? Ezra hosts this episode solo to share insight into why — after 9 years and $125 million in sales — he finally expanded his ecommerce brand onto Amazon, including why he always avoided selling on the platform and the factors that ended up changing his mind. Plus, you'll learn why advertising is expected to be a little more difficult this year, and th...

Want to grow your own Social Media Director in-house? Continuing our conversation with BOOM!'s Social Media Director, Laura Palladino, she tells us all about how she discovered her passion for digital marketing. We'll discuss what she was doing before she met Ezra Firestone, how she came to work for him, and how he provided a safe learning environment for her to grow into her new role. You'll also...

Want to turn social media into a high-impact marketing machine for your brand? Laura Palladino is the Marketing Director at BOOM!, a $40 million-a-year brand, and she joins the podcast to share her proven social media strategy — the ICOSA Framework. ICOSA stands for "Ideation, Creation, Optimization, Syndication, Amplification" and by using this 5-step system, Laura helped BOOM! generate over 355K...

How did an 8-figure business optimize ad performance after the iOS 14 update? Find out in this conversation between the Marketing Manager of Smart Marketer, Dani, and the CMO of BOOM!, Boris. After some of the worst ad results he'd seen in years, Boris discovered a few small changes that had a big impact on ROI. You'll hear how BOOM!'s Amazon launch impacted their ad results, what Boris learned fr...

This is essential to managing and growing a brand... John is the solo host of this episode focused on the MVP Inventory System. MVP stands for "Mission, Vision, Principles" — concepts that are essential to managing and growing a successful brand. In this episode, John shares how we're applying these concepts at Smart Marketer, how the MVP inventory can be used in decision-making, and the mindful e...

Molly is joined by Ryan McKenzie of TruEarth to talk about how he scaled to over $100,000/day in ad spend with amazing video ads. During this chat, you'll learn the 7-step ad formula Ryan used to create the viral videos that have skyrocketed his laundry detergent brand. He'll show you how to create the perfect storm for opportunity and growth, including how to use the right hook, invest in consuma...

New environments offer us amazing opportunities to learn more about ourselves. Molly's move back home to Kentucky has provided a wealth of experiences that have reinforced her beliefs and helped her grow. Continuing our conversation from Molly's major life updates in episode 39, she shares the top 5 lessons she's learned since moving back home and how these lessons help push her to lead a happy, w...

Are you freaking out about the iOS 14.5 update? In this #WeOutHere segment, John Grimshaw (CMO of Smart Marketer) is here to help alleviate any concerns you have with a 360 ° view of the iOS 14.5 update. This is the big one, folks, but it's NOT the end of advertising (despite everything you're being told). He shares what's changed so far, how this update impacts marketers, and how smart advertiser...

Have you ever moved back to your hometown? Molly's been traveling a lot these past few years, and now she's ready to start putting her roots down in one place. In this episode, she opens up about her transition from college student to CEO and the discovery that the places she's travelled are less important than her growth as a person and the relationships she's cultivated over that time. Get inspi...

What happens when execs from Smart Marketer, Zipify & BOOM! all link up?  In this episode, learn the process we used to form our business plan for the next 18 months. We also talk about all the FUN we had at our C-level retreat — we did everything from chopping wood, to revisiting our mission statement, to Ezra cheffin' up a delicious dinner for us. Plus, Molly answers 2 questions from her Instagr...

Want to work from home? Here's how... To help you secure that coveted position, Molly and John give you 3 steps to follow to increase your chances of getting hired. They discuss rebuilding your resume and reflecting on positive outcomes, as well as the vast opportunities available in the digital marketing world. (Are you in a leadership role? To learn how to hire new employees and build a team, li...

What did you miss in Ezra's private Q&A hosted by Shopify? Clubhouse is an exclusive new social channel where you can listen in on live conversations between entertainers, educators and influencers (among others). In this episode, we share the 10 most interesting questions from Ezra's Clubhouse Q&A hosted by Shopify — including ecomm questions like how Ezra knew his business was headed in the righ...

Hey CEOs: Want to be a better leader? In this conversation taken straight from his private Mastermind, Ezra Firestone discusses the roles, responsibilities, and challenges that come with being a CEO. He highlights the six pillars you should focus on if you want to become a better leader, including how to handle critical tasks, the key to building a winning culture, and how he gets high-level talen...

Do you save tedious tasks for certain days of the week? In part 2 of this series on routine and productivity, Molly and John describe their process for mentally and physically preparing for the work week. You'll learn the day-to-day routines that boost their productivity, including why you should intentionally divide your time, how Molly starts her mornings off right, and why John's ready to "eat...

Do you take time to reflect on your accomplishments? (You should!)  In this episode, Ezra joins Molly and John to wrap up this 2-part series on what they've learned from working together over the last year, taking a moment to reflect on and appreciate how far they've come as peers and individuals. We hope you use this episode as motivation to reinvest in product creation, build processes ahead of...

What have we learned after 1 year of running Smart Marketer? In Part 1 of this two part review, our hosts chat with Ezra about why they joined Smart Marketer and share some big lessons learned in their new roles as CEO (Molly) and CMO (John). Ezra also talks about the challenges of giving up creative control and why it was the best thing for the company. A year later, Smart Marketer is growing, mo...

Do you want to be more productive? We know how challenging it can to start new routines or change old ones. So, in this 2-part series, our hosts share how they overcame bad habits and how that led to more productivity at work and at home. We discuss the power of consistency, finding balance in a remote setting, and how to develop new routines that promote personal growth.  YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!...

Can you tell the difference between good & bad business opportunities? Join us as Ezra Firestone reveals what the "perfect" business opportunity looks like and which business models to avoid. Many variables will impact your success and pleasure when starting a new business, and to help steer you in the right direction, Ezra goes deep on the opportunities and drawbacks of different business types,...

How do you get out of a work slump? Molly Pittman and John Grimshaw are joined by Ezra Firestone to discuss how they pull themselves out of creative slumps and regain their enthusiasm for work. Molly shares the 5 tips she uses to her own worklife, while John and Ezra each share what does the trick for them. If you could use a boost of inspiration today, then this is the episode for you.  YOUR ENGA...

Do you have communication structures in place? In part 3 of this 3-part series on Communication, Ezra Firestone talks about the need for open communication at work and at home. He shares a few tactics for strong communication, explains "emotional charge" and "value judgments," and much more. (To hear Molly's and John's thoughts on communication, go back and listen to episodes 24 and 26.) YOUR ENGA...

How can you improve your ad campaigns? Molly Pittman plays the role of detective in this #WeOutHere segment focused on campaign optimization. Molly believes optimization and scaling are both huge mental games, and in this episode she shares her 5-step process for uncovering the clues and cracking the case when it comes to improving any Facebook campaign. Put on your detective cap and get ready to...

Do you take care of your business relationships? In part 2 of this 3-part series on Communication, our hosts talk about cultivating and maintaining strong business relationships. Molly describes how a lack of communication can destroy a successful business, and John gives us a rundown of a book that improved his communication skills. You'll also hear how John's parents approached communication, wh...