Marketing Campaigns can be a powerful vehicle for stimulating your business growth. Embarking on the development and execution of a Marketing Campaign forces us to relook at and reevaluate existing consumer relationships as well as actively engage new people who may be interested in our brand. In doing this, we find new ways of creating Brand-Love connections with these consumers creating potential for more revenue. This episode goes into detail on how to develop a successful marketing campaign and highlights examples of good and bad ones...some from our own personal experiences. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Now, more than ever, it seems that there are lots of folks out there re-examining their priorities and what makes them happy, productive and applies the best use of their skills. In this episode, we talk about the necessary steps to making a successful career pivot into becoming a freelancer and starting your own gig. And we do it with special guest, Allie Martin, Video Producer and Host, who is in the middle of her very own pivot right now for a first-hand view of someone in the trenches as we speak! And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Whether you are selling to consumers, customers, retailers, third-parties or clients, creating a compelling sales story is key to hook buyers. This can be difficult to do if you don’t understand the wants and needs of your buyers. We are going to give you that insight today through 4 different scenarios. And we know this because we have been intimately involved in all of these scenarios helping to create and deploy these stories. Grab a notebook and something to write with. You will need it! And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Saying NO effectively and being okay with it is not an easy thing to do. But if you never learn to say no, you will eventually find yourself serving others at the sacrifices of serving yourself. And that is not a good place for you to be or the people on the receiving end of your “help”! In this episode, we help you break the bad habit of always saying yes and build the necessary skills to effectively say no so that you can better serve yourself and those around you in the long run. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

In this episode, Chris Wallace, Co-Founder and President at Innerview Group, joins us to discuss strategies for transforming your employees into Brand Ambassadors for your business. Your employees can be your most effective word-of-mouth marketers. But only if they have a clear and compelling story to tell. Taking the time to secure and internalize what Chris calls “front-line insights” to shape, tighten and power your Brand Story can be the key in converting sales and ultimately driving revenue. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

The role of vulnerability in the workplace is a tricky discussion for most of us. As soon as this word comes up people visibly tense and become uncomfortable and yet we know that vulnerability definitely has a role in the workplace since we are humans and not robots! Its role is directly tied to each person’s Personal Brand, the brand of the organization, and how the people in the organization interact with each other. If you are too vulnerable, you are thought to be highly emotional and soft. If you are not vulnerable enough, you are seen as cold and heartless. Layer on the gender stereotypes and this is further amplified. In this episode, we attempt to provide a roadmap that assists in dialing up and down vulnerability in the workplace.  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Jennifer Knoeppel, Senior Director, Team, Driver & Industry Communications at NASCAR (@jennieannknoeppel on IG, Jennifer Knoeppel on LI, and @JenKnoeppel on Twitter) joins us in this episode to discuss defining and engaging your target consumer. We have talked a lot about the need to clearly define your consumer so you can develop a compelling brand and marketing outreach to engage and win them. It is also important to continue to revisit your consumer profiles because the environment we live in changes quickly which impacts your consumers wants and needs. In this episode, we are going to use the world of NASCAR to go into depth on how you define those consumers as well as strategies for engaging them to keep them coming back to you.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

This episode is for all of you who are struggling to attract and retain quality employees. From those who are competing in the “who can pay the most” game in filling in your hourly positions to those who are constantly trying to up their game to attract top candidates for salaried positions. It is crazy out there! And it is costing you a lot of time and money that frankly you don’t have. This episode dives deep into specific strategies and tactics to help you play smarter in attracting and retaining quality employees. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

In this episode, we focus on the value that comes with setting the right company mission and living it at your core. And how when it is done right, it leads to financial success, which is the ultimate goal of any business. As a reminder, a mission is externally-focused and should therefore reflect both “why we are here?” and the impact you plan to have on our external audience. With the help of our guest, Mark Patchett, Founder of Growth Shop and all the way from Kiev, Ukraine, we discuss how focusing on the right people, with the right blueprint and the right process yields business success. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Tough conversations are just that - tough - and as a result human nature is to avoid them whenever possible. However, this approach does no service to the person that needs the feedback, your team, or the broader organization as a whole. In this episode we talk about how to successfully manage - and perhaps more importantly, have - tough conversations. Part of which is to do so in a timely manner, but with enough time to prepare. Because it really doesn’t have to be as painful as people make it out to be and dare we say you can even get good at these types of communications if you focus on the 4 tenants in this episode.  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Measuring the success of marketing efforts can be really challenging especially since they may not be directly linked to your business success metrics like sales and growth. Or if they are, it may be challenging to isolate the tactics in order to have certainty that it was indeed those specific efforts that delivered business sales and growth. In this episode, we give specific steps for defining the right marketing KPI’s so that you can optimize your marketing efforts with more confidence and efficiency. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

We often get challenged that B2B marketing is just not the same as consumer marketing. Our argument is that IT IS the same as consumer marketing, although with some caveats. In this episode, we cover the 4 Principles of Successful B2B Marketing. We break down the barriers associated with the old assumption as well as offer insight into how to use consumer marketing to your advantage in this space. Learn all you need to know to build a successfully differentiated B2B marketing strategy with a focus both on your customer and their end consumer. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

The importance of a strong workplace culture was only further highlighted with the advent of COVID and the subsequent work-from-home orders. And now, as the world opens back up and some people head back to work while others stay at home, it can be a challenge to figure out how to navigate and manage workplace culture. In this episode, we outline the 4 Elements of a Strong Workplace Culture, with many examples from our experiences through the years of both good and not so good work cultures. This episode applies no matter your current work situation, and is critical to a happy and healthy, as well as motivating, environment.  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

Now, more than ever, it is critical to brand success to spend the time and focus building a strong brand character. Between the limited in-person interactions we continue to face, and the proliferation of online channels, it is imperative to speak authentically and personably across all touchpoints. This episode focuses on the needed approach for a strong brand character, culminating with a best-in-class example, Grove Collaborative, and their ability to promote a genuine personality in a crowded space among many other strong brands.  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

A key way to drive credible reach and stretch your equity is by leveraging influencers and partners who already have a relationship with a consumer you want to tap into. From sports properties to events to philanthropic organizations to industry organizations, partners can help drive your business...if you approach branded content with the 4 principles we discuss in this episode. Our guest, Samantha Baier (on twitter and LinkedIn), of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, is the Digital Partnerships Manager for the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC and an expert in executing these principles and shares her experience in executing content that worked well and not so well. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

The digital space is crowded, and it is hard to capture enough attention for your content to break-through the noise. As our guest Dan Gadd (on twitter and LinkedIn), Sr. Director of Digital Strategy at the Atlanta Falcons will attest: “It is a street-fight for attention!” What is needed first is a mindset shift that embraces the reality that “there is no reach with reaction”. His proven framework which we outline in depth in the episode is your guide for getting this reaction and creating digital content people want to watch.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com.

From brand-building and marketing veterans Anne Candido and April Martini comes a podcast committed to cutting through all the confusing marketing BS so that you can actually understand how to take action and change your business today. They deep-dive into topics most would gloss-over, infusing real-world examples from their combined 35+ years of corporate, agency and entrepreneurial experience. They tell it how it is so that whether you are just starting out or have been in business awhile, you have the Marketing Smarts to immediately impact your business. To find out more about Anne and April, visit Forthright-people.com, or catch them on Instagram or LinkedIn (Anne and April). And don’t forget to rate and review!

In this episode we talk about how to write a brief that actually serves the teams working on the project as a meaningful foundation and continued point of reference, and that also leads to results at the end of the process. We have been on the receiving end of some pretty bad briefs in our time, so we thought it was important to educate around the process of building an effective brief, and specifically what needs to be included vs. not. It takes time and energy in the short term, but fuels the process in a much smoother way for the long term success of any initiative. We share lots of personal experiences as well as a bit of an unexpected confession from Anne. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

In this episode, we discuss brand as a key means for differentiation in a crowded category. Brand is THE starting place for any company to build the right emotionally-led foundation to connect with consumers. And it is those emotional connections that when built authentically, drive consumers to choose you more often, indefinitely. Joining us for this episode is Andy Snyder, Brand Manager at Rhinegeist Brewery, to speak to the use of brand in arguably one of the most crowded categories today, craft beer. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Many are struggling to figure out how to make decisions about their business amidst an uncertain economy. In this episode, we discuss how you can stay resilient by adopting “Test-and-Learn” practices. This is the cycle of doing, learning, refining, repeating. It allows for fast-cycle iteration, saving money and time and it can be applied to all aspects of your business. We talk about specific practices and examples based on our experience so you can immediately integrate Testing-and-Learning into your business today. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

It can be challenging making the transition from a strong brand foundation into a strong and successful marketing strategy and executed plan. But it is THE thing for translating your WHY into meaningful emotional connections with your customers and consumers. In this episode, we focus on the HOW of getting from a strong brand foundation to executing a strong marketing plan and how to keep it going for the long haul. Joining us for this episode is Mike Hines, Team Leader at Build Collective, who speaks to the discipline and hard work it takes to build a strong brand and then effectively market against it. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

A Brand Story is a powerful tool when created and utilized properly - it is a key differentiator to any business’ success. But unfortunately too many companies phone it in when it comes to their brand story or even worse...decide not to create one entirely. And at some point, it catches up to them in a bad way. In this episode, we discuss how to ensure you have the right Brand Story to set your foundation and the ability to use it as a lens for every decision your brand makes, leading to the ultimate brand and business success. Our example of a brand who leverages their Brand Story to the fullest is Moxy Hotels by Marriott. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Word-of-mouth (WOM) is the most coveted yet elusive channels of marketing for many. It is generated by a consumer who loves your brand so much they openly and frequently recommend you and talk about you to others. You can’t buy your way into these authentic testimonials. You must earn them. For this episode, we invited Sue Frech, co-founder and CEO of Vesta , a digital community platform company, to discuss ways to generate WOM marketing. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Our ultimate goal in doing this episode is to shine a light on the realities of being a woman in business, so that women can approach their careers and lives with their eyes wide open. Many of these realities are highly controversial, so they are rarely talked about...especially within the walls of a company. Which means that sometimes we don’t know we are losing the game until it is too late. And, yes, it is a game that we all must become competent players in to achieve our goals. But the one thing we will say over and over is that you need to do you. Stick to your truth, but do so with awareness. In this episode, we focus on sharing the things we wish people would have shared with us as we navigated our careers and build our personal brands.  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Whether it is to cater to millennials, participate in socio-cultural based conversations, or show support in times of need, it seems like every brand has jumped into cause or purpose-based marketing. Which begs the question...am I missing out if I don’t? The truth is that “doing good” is definitely one way to differentiate and give people a reason to choose you, but it can also be detrimental to your brand and business if certain rules aren’t followed. In this episode, we go into detail about these rules with lots of examples of brands who have done it well and some who have not done it so well. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

A career coach can be one of your most valuable assets. An unbiased resource who has nothing at stake except your personal growth and success, a career coach can help you see blind-spots and give you tools and practices that people closer to you may not. In this episode, we examine the “4 Key Roles your Business Coach should Play”. We also provide lots of personal anecdotes for how we chose our coaches, and how we get the most out of the relationships. And now we offer coaching as part of Forthright People. Whether it be for building your Marketing Smarts, general business guidance, branding and marketing development, Personal Brand cultivation, team dynamics optimization or just about anywhere else you have a challenge, you can expect forthright support stemming from our 35+ years of experience. Contact us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

“Leading from afar” has become a hot topic due to remote working environments. But even before our current situation mandated it, we have found that the very best type of leaders have the ability to do so from afar. This means giving their teams space and autonomy to do things their own way. And the benefit? They end up with higher performers and better results than those that micromanage. We call this Vigilant Leadership, meaning a leader is keeping careful watch over progress and results, but not involved and hands-on at every turn. In this episode, we speak to Vigilant Leadership best practices and how this can lead you to an entirely new level of success. We discuss John Mackey, Founder of Whole Foods, and how his practice of Vigilant Leadership resulted in business success and committed team members. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

There is a mantra in the marketing and branding world that “Content is king”. And this couldn’t be more true. From digital to more traditional written and programmatic ]to OTT (over-the-top), we are now surrounded by content. And the reason it is king? It is the ultimate differentiator for a business and a brand. Not only does it drive awareness by increasing touchpoints with your consumers, content that is consistently branded across platforms can disproportionately build credibility, reputation and trust. These are essential to build the emotional and mental connections to your customer which will compel them to choose you over and over again. In this episode, we share how to make this type of content which will deliver ROI and propel your business. We discuss how the brand Athleta leverages these attributes and also where they could do better versus their competition.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Focusing on your brand in order to build or maintain a successful business is more important now than ever. And we have unfortunately seen too many companies short change their brand given current business climates. So many excuses exist out there: 1) You will worry about brand later. 2) Brand is only for products. 3) It is what big businesses do. 4) It costs too much money. 5) To be clear, this is NOT the way to go about building or maintaining a successful business. In this episode, we will speak to the differentiation that a strong brand can bring and how it is tied to business results. We will also discuss Peloton, and the impact a powerfully brand-led business has transformed a commoditized market and beat out competitors while broadening their audience reach on a regular basis. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. To get your copy of The Super-Highway of Relevancy: Getting More People to Choose Your Brand, More Often, Indefinitely, click here. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

So many customer interactions have been replaced with digital and automated interfaces. When executed well, the customer appreciates the convenience and flexibility they provide aiding in purchase and re-purchase of products and services. And what’s more, businesses benefit by reducing cost and improving efficiency. But there is a downside. In this digital world, the customer experience is in essence flat...almost creating a commoditized effect. Here, the brand can lose control of their relationship with the customer as it fights to create a Brand-Love connection in a world that is somewhat one-dimensional. In this episode, we invited another marketing expert, Brian Bolten, to join us as we discuss 4 Realities about Digital Interfaces and AI that can help you Improve Customer Experience. Brian specifically shares how these realities played a role in his work with brands like eBay, Smile Direct Club, Anheuser-Busch, and even a current start-up client. You can find Brian through his latest venture with Nextup or through LinkedI here. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Gwynne Sound. A brand's sonic identity is the use of sound and music in a way that further defines what a brand stands for in the minds (and hearts) of its consumers. Gwynne Sound has built a team and process that knows how to build a sonic identity for your brand in a way that ensures on-equity delivery of sonic assets for use across all of your marketing touchpoints - ultimately driving a deeper connection between your brand and consumer. They do this with a combination of science and art that starts with their proprietary process and is fulfilled by their in-house (and external) network of world class composers, musicians and sound engineers to bring it to life. Want to learn more? Visit them today at www.gwynnesound.com to make sure your brand is heard!

 Remember the old adage, it is not what you know but who you know? Networking is fundamental to any person’s success in business - it does not matter who you are. And it isn’t always easy to put yourself out there, so in this episode, 4 Unspoken Rules of Networking, we focus on what NOT to do in an effort to get to how to network effectively, but also comfortably and authentically. This episode sets you up for networking success because although you never know where networking will lead, it will take you on a journey to getting where you are destined to go. And we end with an unexpected, but fun, example - online dating apps! Because when is networking more important than when you are trying to find your special someone? And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

 Influencers and partnerships can be super helpful to brands and businesses. First, they can bring instant credibility through their endorsement. Second, they have a platform of engaged fans, which can add significant reach to a brand’s message. But leveraging influencers and partners needs to be thought through strategically, as you will be making an investment here. In this episode, we give you 4 Tips for Using Influencers Effectively so that you can make good choices and translate your investment into business results. We end with a case study of an influencer campaign Anne led while on the Downy brand at P&G.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

We come from the opposite sides of the proverbial marketing tracks, with Anne at P&G and April at several different agencies. And though we have never worked on the same project, we do share a common truth: the best marketing work comes from the most functional teams. NOT the teams who like each other the most or get along the best, which is a common misconception. In this episode, we distill down our 35+ years of experience into 4 Ways to Create Highly Functional Corporate/Agency Teams. You will learn the characteristics and behaviors these teams employ to produce outstanding work on a consistent basis. And you will note how these apply to all types of teams. Case in point is our featured brand...Ray Dalio and Bridgewater Associates, the world’s largest hedge fund, who exemplifies these practices. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Most successes and failures in business can be tied back to a leader’s ability to be aware of and manage their personal brand. Characteristics like empathy, ingenuity, and thoughtfulness are critical to bond people. If you have these as a leader, you are probably doing better than most, especially in the midst of a pandemic, where physical togetherness is limited. Now more than ever it is critical to be more intentional in your pursuits, which means inherently recognizing who you are at your core and understanding how this will impact your behaviors and actions which will ultimately define your business. In this episode, we outline the 4 Personal Brand Truths Every Leader Should Know. We highlight a founder we appreciate for embodying these truths, Kevin Systrom of Instagram.    And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

A partnership can be a beautiful thing when it works. But getting to the right partnership is definitely a journey. In this episode, we talk about what makes a successful partnership work (or not) through the lens of our personal experience in building Forthright People. You asked for our story and here we deliver! And in doing so, also share the top 4 steps to an effective partnership, so you can start your very own journey today. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

In this new world, many of you have taken to social channels to compensate for other channels that may have been cut-off due to COVID. Add this to the folks who were already there and now we have mass chaos. It is like LA during rush hour. And unfortunately, most businesses are getting sucked into the chaos versus rising above it and being heard. The secret to successful social channels? A brand-led social strategy. In this episode we give you the 4 elements of every successful social strategy. This will become your playbook to build an engaged audience who become word-of-mouth advocates for your business. We end with an example of a brand we love, Kim Crawford Wines, whose instagram is a shining example of a strong social strategy.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

By now you have listened to our Part 1 on Becoming a Freelancer. (And if you haven’t go to Part 1 now!) And now that you have all of the tools in place to run a business, it is time to start pitching business. In this episode, we focus on the operational and promotional aspects of starting your own business. This includes everything from the creation of your branded materials, where your materials will be promoted and featured, your proposal structure and pricing, and how to put these items to the best use. All with the mission in mind of getting clients and getting to work!  And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Have an entrepreneurial vision?  Whether you are ready to pivot from a corporate life to hang your own shingle or maybe just looking to get into a side hustle, we are going to give the first 7 steps for getting started.  There are also a lot of companies who will charge you good money to do really simple things, which you may be inclined to do because you just don’t know.  But we want you to spend your money wisely because virtually everyone has to boot-strap when they get started.  Learn from our experiences to get your business established in less than 3 days and around $500.   And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

The ways you have generated leads in the past are likely suffering due to the pandemic. Especially if you relied on big events, foot-traffic or live patronage. Even though we are seeing signs of life, it could be a very long time before these types of events and exposure return. Which means you need to pivot. In this episode, we give you 4 lead gen strategies that are working for businesses like yours. We also address related questions like “how do I launch a new product in a highly digital world?” We end with a personal example from Anne on a company who effectively pivoted their lead gen but didn’t plan appropriately. Don’t let that be you! And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.

Personal branding in business has always been important, but is arguably more so now than ever as we live out our lives and attempt to stand out on screens. In this episode, we discuss 4 reasons now is the time to work on your personal brand. We also talk through challenges of doing so across all aspects of life in an authentic way while discussing real world examples for context. And we end with an example of former professional basketball star turned master personal brander, Shaquille O’Neal. And as always, if you need help in building your Marketing Smarts, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at: Forthright-People.com. This episode is sponsored by Profound Performance. Need an inspiring leadership keynote, delivered virtually or in-person? Do you need leadership training, delivered in micro-learning doses or as a complete program? Go to profoundperformance.store today for a menu of options to motivate or train your leaders and employees.