Too Legitimate to Quit: Growth Strategies with a Pop Culture Spin

Is your personal brand still important when you're scaling a business? How can your values and flair create a bedrock for company culture? And what the heck is the right balance between personal and professional content on social media? We'll answer all that and more in this week's jam-packed episode.  This week, Annie P. Ruggles is joined by Caitlin Penny, the powerhouse behind Copper Theory Crea...

Are you drowning in "shoulds?" Bogged down in the expectations of yourself, your clients, and even your paid advisors? And, to top it all, is one-size-fits-all marketing or the newest high-priced fad failing to bring in the right people? It's time to shake things up, y'all. This episode will help you do exactly that. This week, Annie P. Ruggles is joined by the creative engine known as Megan Gersc...

What the heck is "warrior energy" and how can it be harnessed in our personal and professional lives? How can we best balance head and heart during moments of stress and overwhelm? And how can we break ourselves of toxic self-sacrifice and really, truly practice self-compassion amid societal pressures and inner child tantrums? This week, Annie P. is joined by the soulful and brilliant Jennifer Ure...

Should tiny businesses be worried about the huge issues of inclusion and diversity? Why does allyship really matter - beyond just wanting to be (and be seen as) a good person? And how can we all go beyond performative acts into real, bottom-line shifting, glass ceiling shattering, stigma-debunking change-making? Welcome back to another episode of "Too Legitimate to Quit" with your host Annie P. Ru...

Is "vision" really all that important or is it a distraction? How can we act as if our goals are already happening, rather than just waiting for them to happen? And, how do we balance entertainment and educational content on social media? Welcome back to another episode of "Too Legitimate to Quit" with your host Annie P. Ruggles and very special guest, Emma Tessler, founder and CEO of 95 Media. Th...

Are self-care and productivity opposing forces? Must you choose one or the other? Absolutely not! This episode seeks to prove that self-advocacy and self-preservation are among the most efficient, effective choices you can make - if only you allow yourselves the space, and learn to work with your fears. This week, Annie is joined by the incomparable Sacred Walker - therapist, minister, and force f...

If you're feeling frustrated and overwhelmed because your current website design is not attracting diverse customers or fostering a sense of connection, then you are not alone! Perhaps you've been relying on generic templates and stock images, failing to capture the unique experiences of your target audience. Instead of cultivating empathy and inclusivity, your website may be leaving potential cus...

How can businesses build trust, foster human connection, and align with shared values in the age of AI and technology? And why on Earth does Facebook feel the need to change its advertising platform every four seconds? (Ok, we can't answer the second question there. Ask Zuckerberg.) But in this episode, we wholeheartedly tackle the first. Jenn Neal of Formula Done joins Annie P. to candidly share...

If your email marketing was a love story, would the couple get together in the end or would one run away, screaming in disgust? While that second scenario isn't all that likely, entrepreneurs are faced with a very real pain all too often: crickets. We put the best of our brains out there, only to be met with silence and a smattering of lackluster likes. What's a heart-centered service provider to...

Feeling frustrated and overwhelmed with your current marketing efforts? Exhausted by constantly chasing after the latest trend or tactic without seeing any real results? Or just wondering how and when to let your "freak flag" or "woo badge" fly for maximum effect? You are not alone! If you've invested in expensive advertising campaigns or poured hours into social media posts, but your audience jus...

Welcome to Too Legitimate to Quit - Summer School 2023! To kick off this season of learning and laughs, we dive straight into financial wellness, shame, and the coming zombie apocalypse. What could be more fun than that!? The incredible Bob Wheeler is here to talk us through the emotions that wrap themselves tightly around our money, how we can apply more intention and attention where it counts, a...

Are you falling into the copy-and-paste culture of online business building? Are you drowning in marketing "shoulds" doled out by gurus and one-size-fits-all peddlers? Are you sick to death of collaborations that take more than they give? And - speaking of death - have you ever taken business inspiration from true crime detectives? In this special episode, Annie P. Ruggles is joined by Crystal Tos...

How can you evoke emotion (ethically) and show your passion for your work? How can you stand out in a sea of similar brands? And what the heck can be learned about partnership, flexibility, and delight from the spellcasting, dice-rolling romp known worldwide as Dungeons and Dragons? This week, Annie P. Ruggles is joined by the incomparable Jodi Krangle. Jodi's been heard in thousands of your favor...

How can introverts (or empaths, or people-pleasers) sell and market their businesses without coming across as pushy and aggressive? How can every small business owner keep their nature and their gifts in mind when it comes to energy management, content creation, and consistent outreach? And what the heck does it have to do with Alfred Hitchcock and all those terrifying birds? This week, Annie P. R...

Are you suffering from or through "random acts of marketing?" Online visibility is such a noisy endeavor - so many options, so many "shoulds." How do you know what's right for you and which efforts to double down on? And- is the webinar dead? This week, Annie P. is joined by the fabulous "leads guru" known as Tom Poland. As a multiple bestselling author and marketing expert, Tom helps professional...

Sales is the art of receiving money in exchange for your goods and services. It's an energetic exchange between two people, and it can be beautiful. Here to prove that point are two highly opinionated, emotional women discussing The Walking Dead. This week, Annie P. is joined by a beloved sister in the ethical/heart-centered sales space, Sarah Walton. Unlike Annie, Sarah grew up loving the rush an...

Are you truly making profit a priority? There are so many metrics to track, clients to dazzle, prospects to woo, details to manage. It's shockingly easy for our livelihoods to get lost in the shuffle. But, we can't grow what we don't fully understand. How can we cut through the shiny objects vying for our attention, and focus in on the areas that will help us soar? In this week's jam-packed episod...

Does it seem like everyone around you is always "launching?" Big launches! Flashy launches! Multi-day multi-media launches! What the heck is a launch anyhow? And do we really need to talk about ourselves this much in order to succeed? This week, Annie P. is joined by digital marketer extraordinaire, Jennifer Tamborski. It's a jam-packed episode about pipeline maintenance, funnel hacks, vulnerabili...

Is your email list really that important? How can we best communicate our deep awareness of the problems our prospects face without pouring salt in the wound? How can we find the perfect balance between personalized storytelling and widely applicable takeaways? Danielle Weil, copy strategist to the stars, is here to set us straight.  She outlines tip after tip for fostering trust and connection wi...

Should your stances, causes, and beliefs be part of your brand? Should we welcome unsubscribes and bitchy comments - or play it safe when it comes to "hot button" topics? And what the heck should we do when our best-laid plans don't seem so shiny or effective anymore? Welcome back to Too Legitimate to Quit! It's our first episode of 2023 and it's a giddy whirlwind of marketing tips, mindset refram...

Happy World Introvert Day! As you get back into the swing of your work week, take a trip down memory lane to one of the first episodes of TLTQ - featuring marketing maven, Nikki Nash and Annie's lifelong devotion to Angela Lansbury. It's a favorite of introverts worldwide, as it answers the question "do we need to be shouty to stand out?" New episodes return next week! *** Is "Relationship Marketi...

Ho ho ho - it's a TLTQ Holiday extravaganza and we're digging deep into that heartwarming concept known as professional jealousy. Wait, what? Yep! And for extra fun and cheeriness, we discuss the holiday classic where Santa dies in the first 5 minutes. (This episode originally aired in 2021, and was so dang good, we just had to bring it back!) This week, Annie P. is joined by Startup Renegade, ser...

Relationship Marketing is so much easier said than mastered. How can we forge genuine connections with a whole bunch of people at once - and maintain that earned intimacy? How can we prove ourselves amid a sea of greedy sleazeballs clogging up everyone's DMs? It's TLTQ's 2nd birthday episode, and the incomparable Josh Elledge is here. Josh is a media master, super connector extraordinaire, highly...

Are you stuck on the "rollercoaster of inconsistent income?" We all know entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint, but it can feel extra cumbersome when we're stuck in a marketing rut, drowning in admin tasks, or struggling to close new deals. How can we maintain momentum when times are good, and shake things up when they go stale again? This week, Annie P. is joined by award-winning entrepren...

Holy heck! Annie P. Ruggles' strategy novella and companion guide, "The Coach Who Would Not Sell" comes out today! To mark the occasion (and give Annie a bit of a break), we're bringing back our 1st ever LIVE episode - recorded on the floor of Chicago's Comic Con. Enjoy this wonder of an episode - and then redeem your free copy of "The Coach Who Would Not Sell" at SellCoachSell.com . Use the Speci...