Tom Casano is the founder of Sureoak, a full-service SEO firm dedicated to helping purpose-driven organizations achieve remarkable, long-term growth to make the world a better place to live in. We do this with SEO.
The Sureoak team specializes in getting you more targeted organic traffic to help grow your company. We not only help big-hearted organizations reach more people; we also help searchers find what they’re looking for.
Podcast celebrity. Get used to the term, because there will be more of them in the future as podcasts continue to gain traction in people's media routines.
With the success of Criminal, Lauren Spohrer is a bonafide podcast celebrity. She and her team produce one of the longest running and most successful true crime podcasts out there.
Lauren says that one rule of telling a good story is to avoid giving it all away at the beginning. It's a great characteristic of the Criminal Podcast. When I'm listening to it, I find myself leaning in and waiting to hear what happens next. They are masters at building tension in a story.
Jake Scanlan runs Wiild Creative, a creative marketing agency out of Pasadena, CA. Scanlan's training in user experience gives him a unique viewpoint on how to build a strong brand. He specializes in helping companies figure out what makes them unique, and encourages his clients to be themselves in the market.
Josh Steimle is speaker, writer, and entrepreneur. He has written over 200 articles for publications like Forbes, Inc, Mashable, TechCrunch, Entrepreneur, and Time, and is the author of Chief Marketing Officers at Work, which includes 29 interviews with CMOs from organizations like GE, the Harvard Business School, Spotify, Target, and PayPal. Josh is the CEO of MWI, a digital marketing firm he founded in 1999 with offices in Hong Kong, Singapore, China, and the U.S.
I think a lot about the convergence of my faith with my profession. In my conversation with author and publisher, Darren Shearer, we talk about how Jesus used some fundamental principles of marketing to change the world.
Tom Hunt, the creator of VirtualValley.io is helping business owners and entrepreneurs get more done by connecting them to a global talent pool of virtual assistants.
People love to hate advertising. It’s interruptive, intrusive, offensive, and 90% of the time it’s irrelevant. But there’s one day in the year that advertising is celebrated.
It’s Superbowl Sunday. There’s something nostalgic about watching the super bowl for me. I have great memories of coming home after church to watch the vikings play (or lose, more precisely) when I was growing up. So watching football in general can bring me back to my childhood. But also, the way we watch the super bowl, a live event – one of the most watched tv events in America – has not changed like the way we watch other tv or movie content.
So, I’m dedicating this episode, Episode 33 of the Ictus Marketing Podcast to the Super Bowl Ads of 2016.
Marc Koehler is the President of Lead with Purpose, a company dedicated to helping people lead more purposeful lives. He brings over 30 years of business and life experiences that include US Navy Submarine Officer, Interim CEO/COO, Entrepreneur, Husband, Father, and Soccer Coach.
Through ten years of photography together, Erin and Jeff have learned a lot about what it takes to grow a sustainable business. They own and operate three photography businesses in San Diego and actively teach other photography entrepreneurs how to get started in a crowded market. By sharing their challenges, Erin believes they can help others learn without experiencing the same pain.
“Fear was holding me back from doing important work.
— Erin Youngren
Fear is one of the greatest issues in most businesses. Many of us fear that someone will come along and take business away from us. Erin combats these fears with generosity. Instead of having their acquired knowledge taken from them they give it away freely, and in doing so the Youngrens found success.
Jeff began his photography career through the generosity of a mentor – another highly successful photographer. Wedding photography allowed Jeff to combine his love of photography with his passion for telling emotional stories.
Wedding photography was not a simple business start up. The Youngren's received help from surprising sources along the way, and this help will never be forgotten by Jeff and Erin. They discovered that wedding photography is a unique and collaborative industry. Photographers have come together to share and make the industry stronger and better.
“The help that we received when we started out was so powerful, that we wanted to help other people in the same way.
— Erin Youngren
The Youngrens noticed that other photographers were willing to share their tips and tricks. Leaders would put on workshops. They noticed that giving was a huge part of the wedding photography atmosphere. Jeff and Erin realized that when they give, they build credibility and trust. Their business began to thrive.
“When we do share information, we’ll all learn more and we become more of an expert.
— Erin Youngren
Generosity in their business is not without its problems. Jeff and Erin discovered some who would take and not give back, but they realized that that is their problem. It is not a reason to stop being generous.
“Jeff and I have experienced a lot of hurt by being generous. It’s a hard lesson to learn.
— Erin Youngren
When people took advantage of the Youngrens' kindness, fear would sometimes pop its ugly head to the surface. When this happens, Jeff and Erin talk with each other and ask, “What are we so afraid of?”
Erin believes that generosity has not only helped their photography business, but has helped the wedding photography industry as a whole. Here are some of the ways that Erin has grown their business:
Writing prolifically on their business blog – not always about business, but about cooking and their life together. This is a strategic decision to give their audience a way to develop a personal relationship with them.
Erin works to connect with their target audience through shared values = Marketing!
Erin has written a precise profile of their ideal client. Her name is Emma. Erin has conversations with her when no one is watching.
Erin and Jeff established themselves as industry leaders by being open about their business practices and actively helping other photographers be better.
“We don’t want to be seen just as photographers, but also as a couple who has fun together.
Before the new year ended, I interviewed my good friend and economist, David Carnes. Now that we have entered a new year, I invited David back to discuss the 2015 economy, and we are also going to take a look at the coming economy in 2016.
Also, for those who are Star Wars fans, we will examine the impact of the newest movie: The Force Awakens.
I asked David what he thought of the 2015 economy, and David told me that he would rate the 2015 economy a B. He says it was a good year; not a great year, but a good year.
“We are better economically than we were one year ago.
— David Carnes
We have watched the Federal Reserve just recently raise interest rates, and I asked David about this move that seems to be an attack against the United State's economy. His answer made so much sense when he explained that inflation is under control, and unemployment is back down to approximately 5%, which is all good. This is why the Federal Reserve raised interest rates.
“The Fed protects us by pulling the punch bowl away just as the party is starting.
— David Carnes
I asked David about the economy closer to home; how is the economy of the Inland Empire, and what are we facing in this coming year?
“Education is the biggest issue in the Inland Empire. Turning out a larger percentage of college educated people will help this area.
— David Carnes
Back to the world economy, I reflected on the country of China. A wide concern across the U.S. is if the Chinese economy were to crash, it could impact the average American. In pointing to this concern to David Carnes, he pointed out that we may be overreacting.
“We have worried about the Chinese economy affecting us for nearly 15 years.
— David Carnes
David sees the economic trend continuing as it is far into 2016. While it isn't fantastic, the economy is good and should maintain stability.
Cities and States will play an important role in the 2016 economy.
Workers commuting long distances for the best jobs.
Workers will find new jobs through friends and family.
The freelancing economy will grow even stronger.
With the discussion about the economy winding down, David and I lightened up the subject when we took a look at Star Wars.
“If I had to choose, I would be a Trekky.
— David Carnes
Disney purchased the Star Wars franchise from George Lucas for $4.05 billion in 2012. Many people wondered if this was a wise move by Disney.
On Christmas day, The Force Awakens set both a Canadian and a U.S. record for the largest box office sales with $49.3 million, Disney reported. That topped the previous record of $24.6 million that was set bySherlock Holmes in 2009.
“It is a good movie that no one expected great things from.
— David Carnes
Whether or not you are a fan of Star Wars, you will enjoy this conversation with David Carnes. It is time that we all hear a positive and upbeat look at the economy of the United States and the Inland Empire. So enjoy this podcast looking at the economy and Star Wars with economist David Carnes.
Living in Southern California, I knew that the mention of Walt meant Walt Disney. But what leadership lessons can we learn from Walt. All that comes to my mind is that song about the mouse with big ears...M-I-C K-E-Y MOUSE.
Dr. Barnes explains so much more in his book and in this podcast. As a matter of fact, his book has been the #1 best seller in 3 different categories on Amazon, and just recently, the audio book became available.
“One of the first Disneyland lessons I learned was Start Early
— Jeffrey Barnes
Dr. Barnes explains how Walt did not just snap his fingers and make Disneyland appear. Walt Disney had a difficult childhood. His dream was to bring happiness to children because his own childhood was not very happy.
Walt Disney had to fight for success. Before moving to California, Mr. Disney went bankrupt in Kansas City.
“Every great story requires conflict.1
— Jeffrey Barnes
Dr. Barnes also explains how Walt Disney had strong corporate morals and a culture he followed to build Disneyland. Walt felt that every single person who entered the theme park was the hero of a story. He never forgot about all the people who helped him build the Disney extravaganza. The windows on Main Street are used to credit those who helped make Disneyland a reality.
Dr. Barnes says that when we have dreams, there will be those who tell us we can't, or it won't work. One of the lessons taught in the book Jeffrey wrote is that Walt had many people telling him he couldn't do it and Disneyland won't work.
“Walt set out to prove the naysayers wrong. This was a huge inspiration in making Disneyland work
— Jeffrey Barnes
Dr. Barnes knew that a business leadership class using Walt Disney as the basis would be a huge hit. He made plans and approached the proper people to start the class at Cal Baptist, but on a visit to his Doctor, Dr. Barnes was told he had a brain tumor. The Doctor told him he should have surgery immediately. Realizing that surgery would halt his dream of starting this leadership class, Dr. Barnes made the risky decision to wait on brain surgery. After all, this was all about Walt Disney and living out our dreams.
“This class was a passion that I was willing to put my life on the line for.
— Jeffrey Barnes
Have a listen to this podcast with Dr. Jeffrey Barnes. I know you will be enlightened. I also recommend you get his book. You will find the links to it below.
Now enjoy this podcast with Dr. Jeff Barnes, author of The Wisdom of Walt: Leadership Lessons From The Happiest Place on Earth.
In today's interview, we brought together two members of The Guild in Redlands, CA. The Guild is a group of creative people who meet to support and help each other. On the first Wednesday of each month, Augies Coffeehouse in Redlands is swamped with creative people of different formats and from various walks of life. The two people we have talking with us today are key members of the Guild.
Erin Wilbanks handles all the social media promotion for the Guild, and Paul Gernetzke handles much of the design of the website and other aspects. Other members also work together knowing that when one creative person helps another creative person, the creative world comes alive with joy and singing.
The purpose of The Guild is to build a community of creatives to find information and ideas from each other.
I then asked who can be a member of the Guild. Is it just artists and photographers, or are there other types of creatives?
“Creativity can be applied to any field.
— Paul Gernetzke
There is no set criteria for being part of the Guild. Not everyone who is creative makes a living with their talents. As a matter of fact, while Erin does make money with her photography, her full time job is with the VA Hospital. Erin's motivation and inspiration with photography is her love of exploring. Both Paul and Erin agreed that the Inland Empire is a perfect living environment for creatives.
“We can be at the beach and see snow in the mountains on the same day.
— Erin Wilbanks
“The access you have from the Inland Empire makes it a great place to live – you can get to the mountains and to the ocean, and to the desert within just a couple of hours.
— Paul Gernetzke
Paul and Erin explained that the idea behind the Guild came from a 1930s and 40s group that met in England, and were associated with the University of Oxford. They were called The Inklings; a group of writers and literary enthusiasts who came together to support each other. It seems some of these writers claimed inspiration for some of their best works all because they met with other writers.
In today's interview you will learn more about Erin, Paul and the Guild.
Erin works magic with photography on her iPhone; Paul found inspiration in art and design when he traveled to South Africa. He started the Global Art and Design Project because of that trip, and has been inspired to fund art scholarships in South Africa. Paul also has his own art and design website called Loka.
What I understood from speaking with Erin and Paul is that the primary mission of the Guild is to build the confidence of creatives all throughout the Inland Empire. It just seems that too many of the highly creative residents do not give themselves enough credit for the talents and abilities they have.
“The Inland Empire has an underdog mentality
— Paul Gernetzke
It really does not matter what type of creative talents you have. Maybe you are a poet, a flower arranger, a comedian, or you make paper maché figurines; whatever talent a person has, the Guild welcomes all. Always on the first Wednesday of every month at 6:30 PM at Augie's Coffeehouse in Redlands.The Guild has speakers for these meetings, and just consider the Guild's Vision:
“Our vision is to see a sustainable and thriving community of creatives in the Inland Empire. We envision relationships in which people are free to be honest, to wrestle with life together, to support and challenge each other and to spur each other on in their creativity and craft.
Whether you are running a business that longs to attract Christian consumers, or you are a person who wants to learn more about marketing from an expert, this podcast episode with Scott Shuford, the Founder and Chief Engagement Officer at FrontGate Media will interest you. Scott's years of experience in marketing to both secular and more recently, Christian consumers can provide you with ideas, and an avenue to market your brand.
Scott graduated from college with a degree in marketing. As a Christian, Scott prayed about the path he should take.
“Where should I serve?
— Scott Shuford
The answer came to Scott with 3 M's: Music, Marketing and Ministry to youth. Scott's journey began; starting with the Christian music site GoFish.Net where he helped the site grow to huge proportions. After GoFish.Net was sold, Scott again looked for guidance through prayer.
“I can do more than I am doing now.
— Scott Shuford
In the mid 1990s before the web was popular, Scott had a vision. With a partner, he started BigMan Media.
“As BigMan Media, we handled marketing for all types of businesses. I felt God calling me to focus on Him
— Scott Shuford
The majority of Christian businesses had no idea how to utilize the world wide web in marketing efforts. Scott taught these businesses how they could attract and market to Christian consumers.
I asked Scott if he was concerned about leaving a lot of cash behind by going strictly Christian. His demeanor told me that this was no concern to him. Scott's priority was to follow the path God had for his life, and it is now evident that Scott is being blessed in following that path.
Christian businesses and businesses that wanted to attract Christ centered consumers began to utilize the services BigMan Media had to offer. Because the diversity of marketing forms were so large, Scott and his team decided to put everything together. The decision was made to re-brand it all into FrontGate Media.
It is clear that God has used Scott and FrontGate Media. FrontGate has helped market the 10 highest grossing films that have hit the big screen. Films like The Passion of the Christ and The Narnia Serieswere marketed through FrontGate Media.
“We work with nearly all media companies who have a desire to reach a Christian audience.
— Scott Shuford
I asked Scott what marketing to a Christian audience entails. His answers show that he is a marketing master.
“You need to know where the outlets are that your audience is listening to or watching.
— Scott Shuford
Scott explained that building solid lists is probably the biggest key to successful marketing. FrontGate's email list has grown to over 5,000,000 and he says they have the ability to reach 10,000,000 Christians in a moments notice. FrontGate has won several achievements including 2014 Internet Advertising Competition’s Best Marketing Website overall and the Best Faith-based Website.
When you listen to this interview with Scott Shuford, you will discover how PR and marketing can grow a business whether it is Christian based or secular.
Enjoy this interview with Scott Shuford who stands at the FrontLine of FrontGate Media.
Scott Sims is the founder and CEO of BuzzLogix, a social media monitoring tool that can provide a complete look at how a business is measuring up in their marketing methods. BuzzLogix monitors your social media channels and can automate social posting for businesses. BuzzLogix was hatched in 2014.
“We are focusing on marketing solutions
— Scott Sims
As I interviewed Scott, I had to ask him why he decided to jump into a business that seems overcrowded. There are already a lot of tools that will monitor social media for companies, and also many others that will provide automated posts for social media posts. Scott answered that question with pure Logix.
“We create a wedding between low end social engagement and high end social management to provide a complete social business management structure.
— Scott Sims
The fact is, there is no middle ground. Software companies are either catering to the extremely large corporations by finding negative and positive comments via text on Facebook, Twitter, forums and blogs and reporting it to the corporation who must use another service to defeat or uplift these comments. Or there are other software outlets who simply provide automated posting, but do not manage the responses of those who are viewing the content.
Scott explained that the objective of BuzzLogix is to marry all of the business social marketing and response into an easy to use software that small, medium and large businesses can all be satisfied with. The BuzzLogix team is consistently training their computer systems to recognize brands, subjects and people.
“You can find the attitude toward your brand and your competitors brands.
— Scott Sims
It is true, businesses are utilizing multiple avenues to achieve their marketing needs. Scott and the other BuzzLogix team have developed a system that achieves all the business marketing and social needs in one software platform. It is both a listening platform and a publishing platform.
While BuzzLogix is still in Beta mode, the process is moving rapidly where business structures of all sizes will be able to know what people are saying about them on Facebook, Twitter and other social locations. The BuzzLogix software is also available in 20+ languages, so your company can know how your advertising is working in international markets.
“You can’t build a perfect product in a year’s time.
— Scott Sims
I asked Scott what else BuzzLogix has in store. The answer could bring the conspiracy theorists out, but image recognition is in the plans too. So when a person puts a happy face picture and states your brand under it, the BuzzLogix software will tell you about the love being shown to your brand.
“We have future plans of image recognition.
— Scott Sims
You will enjoy this interview with Scott Sims, the CEO of BuzzLogix. He knows how to explain these highly technical subjects in a way that even people with no computer experience can understand.
After listening to this interview, be sure and visit the BuzzLogix website and check out what this system can do for you and your business. The small business price point will be available in early 2016, so you will want to reserve your space now.
This interview is with an amazing woman who is on a mission to annihilate domestic violence in the Inland Empire, the State of California, the United States and the world.
You will meet Debra Postil. Debra is a Senior Deputy District Attorney in Riverside County. The office she works in has one of the top conviction rates in California.
Debra has witnessed many terrible occurrences in her employment and because of this, she has been led on a mission to aid both women and more importantly, children to find an escape from the violence that they have found to be natural in the atmosphere they were brought in to. So how is Debra helping them?
As a published author, Debra has realized just how much writing has helped her. She, along with some confidants, started a program that is called The Write Of Your Life. This is a 10 week program conducted after school hours for at-risk children. It involves writing, arts and mentoring these youth so they can view that there is more than violence and evil.
“Reading and writing shows kids that there is a bigger world out there.
— Debra Postil
When starting the program, Debra and the others were nervous about how it would go. They were, after all, dealing with kids who were prime targets to be gang members, drug or alcohol addicts and become abusers themselves.
“In the beginning, we were really nervous. But, we did not give up, and they didn’t give up on us
— Debra Postil
When the 10 weeks are completed, each student will have completed a publishable piece of writing and an art piece.
“When we look at the cost to our economy, mentoring is saving society a lot of money.
— Debra Postil
In this interview, you will experience some of the horrendous stories of abuse and violence that Debra hears weekly, if not daily. It is these stories, the tears and sadness that has inspired Debra to step out and commit to helping those who only know the life of violence.
Debra has authored several books. One that has been a major hit with children is It's This Monkey's Business. It is a book for children 4-8 that helps deal with domestic violence.
Other books that Debra has authored are: The Suburban Seduccion and The Mamacita Murders.These are all under Debra's pen name: Debra Mares. Anyone who writes an iTunes review can receive one of Debra's books for free.
After listening to this moving interview, I just know you will have a desire to help. Women Wonder Writers, who is the non-profit behind the program, survives strictly on private donations and with volunteers. Mentors are always welcome and desired. Just contact debra@womenwonderwriters.com.
Today we are interviewing an Inland Empire economist by the name of David Carnes. David has a Bachelor of Arts from Cal State in economics and in this interview, David is sharing his outlook on the future of the Inland Empire.
“The Inland Empire is Southern California’s closet
— David Carnes
David explains that he is in agreement with many other economists in that the Inland Empire is coming back stronger than ever after the recession created economic issues. What David sees are some changes that will effect certain people in the workforce.
“The manufacturing jobs that we lost during the recession have not come back. They’ve been replaced by warehousing jobs
— David Carnes
The Inland Empire seems to be booming, but when a person looks deep into the pulse of the Inland economy, we can see some major factors that will effect small business. Some of those factors are:
The Inland Empire has not recovered the level of gross domestic output. This is primarily a result of manufacturing jobs not coming back, and manufacturers moving their factories.
40% of the workforce commutes out of the Inland Empire.
33% of working age adults do not have a high school diploma.
David points out a recent statistic that states: "Over the past year, higher-paying professional and business service jobs produced a third of all job growth with 14,200 new jobs” (Daily Bulletin, 9/24/15). With warehousing being the primary growth in the Inland Empire, professionals are not finding opportunities, so they are commuting to Orange or L.A. Counties.
But David does still see the Inland Empire as a “pot of gold.” It is still a great location to start and run a small business. How can this be, you may ask?
The housing market in the Inland Empire is on a major bounce-back. Once leading in the rates of foreclosures, the Inland Empire has made the largest gains in the reductions of foreclosures. Many professionals still love the Inland Empire life, and they choose to live, eat and breathe here while commuting to another area for employment.
A key factor that David sees in the future of the Inland Empire's economy is how mass transit reacts. It seems he believes mass transit could be a determining factor in what industry will build, and what will leave the Inland Empire.
“Mass transit may be a factor in encouraging changing the face of the Inland Empire’s industry
— David Carnes
Enjoy this interview with my friend and a great economist: David Carnes.
Upon interviewing Mark Crowley, I realized I was talking with a person who has an ingenious pattern of leadership abilities, and he's working to help leaders of companies both small and large to realize this compassionate form of leadership.
“We need to change how we manage. And we need to change how we treat people.
— Mark C. Crowley
Being raised in a way that would make most of us shudder, Mark C. Crowley watched as leaders managed with a heavy hand in forms of dictatorship. Mark often fantasized what life would be like if he had been raised in a different way, but he then saw that the person who primarily raised him...his best friend's Mother, used a passionate form of leadership, and made Mark feel welcome.
In his book, Lead From The Heart, Mark shows how people are naturally hard-wired to thrive on positive emotions. He shows how leaders can use compassion and care to lead without being taken advantage of. Mark shows how the “Golden Rule” should not only be used with customers and clients, but also with those people a leader manages.
Unlike other leadership books and courses, Mark's book delves into a caring form of people management. Leading from the heart shows 4 general practices. They are:
Hire people with heart. While they may have the talent, does the person have the heart-drive for the work?
Heart to heart. Building personal relationships are a key to strong leadership. What makes you happy? What do you want to learn?
Maximize potential. Rather than feel threatened by the people they manage, leaders should help workers utilize their talents to the greatest potential.
Recognize people. Recognize people for their achievements – not just as part of a programmed box to check, but as a way of treating people well.
In his book, Mark shows how and why leadership rules and techniques should always be committed to change. Just because it has always been done a certain way does not prove its effectiveness.
“Leadership is evolution. It is not a Pendulum.
— Mark C. Crowley
In this interview, you will learn more about Mark C Crowley and the book he authored that has changed leadership thinking. Mark has proved that the heart can lead instead of the whip. The technique Mark teaches is now being utilized in leadership classes offered at major universities including:
San Diego State University
Northern Arizona University
and Embry-Riddle University
Enjoy this interview with leadership guru Mark C. Crowley, and be sure and get a copy of his book which is available in hardcover, paperback and Amazon Kindle...Lead From The Heart.
He went from the marines, to corporate life, to comedy. Mel Austin worked on his stand-up comedy and acting career as a side hustle while he was working in sales and marketing. But like thousands of others, he was forced to change directions when the recession hit and his company down-sized.
Mel used the skills that he learned from his corporate experience to build value into the content (comedy) that he was delivering to audiences – from school assemblies to prisons and everything in between.
Stand-up comics are an interesting breed, because they put themselves in a position that most people fear. They face an audience whose behavior is largely outside of their control, and who are there, really, to judge them. They place themselves in positions of psychological and emotional vulnerability where the payoff can be great, but the risk of failure is huge.
“Laughter really does heal people."
— Mel Austin
For Mel Austin, comedy is more than a job, or a casual way to find entertainment. For Mel, comedy is his way of helping people. "I always wanted to be a motivational speaker," he says in our interview. Some people don't want to be motivated, but laughter is a way to reach people even when they don't expect it. Mel is on a mission to help people find glimpses of joy in a stressful world. He talks about a couple who came to him after a show and told him that they had been fighting with each other all week long, and a little laughter was exactly what they needed to break the ice and talk to each other again.
“When she came to me after the show and thanked me for helping her and her husband laugh, and that it allowed them to talk to each other again after a week of fighting, that made my day."
— Mel Austin
Mel launched a new stand-up show called Squeaky Clean Comedy. He hosts a round of clean comics and entertainers every month at Dave and Busters in Ontario, CA. Check here for tickets.
In addition to his performances, Mel teaches comedy classes to business people and public speakers. Connect with Mel Austin using the links below, and let him know that you love clean comedy too!
Erin Phillips is a rocket ship of positive change. She is the President and CEO of The Children's Fund in San Bernardino, CA. She loves non-profits and the role they play in our society. She has long been an advocate for civic engagement and generosity in the Inland Empire. To that end, Erin helped start The Pick Group of Riverside whose mission is to provide opportunities for career-minded young professionals to connect socially, develop professionally, and engage civically for the betterment of Riverside.
“If they weren’t going to invite us to the table, then we were going to invite ourselves.”
— Erin Phillips
I've wanted to talk to Erin for a long time on the podcast, but our schedules just hadn't aligned until now. I love learning about the experiences that shape people, and Erin's background surprised me.
Listening to Erin talk about her mom and dad made me proud and a little more apprehensively conscious about my own parenting. Kids are watching, and listening, and learning from you. Her mom worked her you-know-what off to provide for the family and put herself through college as an adult. Her dad suffered an illness and spent several years on medical disability, but was consistently whispering leadership training principles into Erin's young ears.
It's easy to see why Erin has become so passionate about working on behalf of children suffering from poverty and abuse. She believes in the power of family. But when that fails, someone has to step in to help children.
“Systems don’t replace families”
— Erin Phillips
Take a listen to my conversation with Erin. You'll learn about her work with The Children's Fund, the Inland Empire, and The Pick Group. And you'll see the human side of one of the Inland Empire's most talented leaders.
I met Frank Cowell at a local AMA luncheon last spring. Frank gave a great presentation about how to build brands that work, and I immediately wanted to have him on the show. I loved talking to Frank, because I think we have a similar approach to marketing.
Frank believes that you have to wake up every day asking yourself, how can I serve my customers today?. With this kind of mindset, a small business owner removes herself from the selling and marketing issues that feel icky to many of us. Instead, no matter what business you're in, your business is to serve people. Now your marketing has a clear path to serving a more noble purpose.
“If you approach your business with a mindset of service, you will be fruitful.”
— Frank Cowell
Frank talks about the idea that a brand is built from the inside out – an idea with which I completely agree. You can't build a brand that is healthy on the outside and rotten on the inside. The battle for the mind of your audience has to begin with winning the minds of the people who work on the inside of the company. Think of them as your first audience. (It reminds me of Jesus taking the Pharisees to task in Mt 23:27.)
“If you don’t have internal alignment about your brand, you’re just putting lipstick on a pig.”
— Frank Cowell
Like most of us, Frank has had to overcome some obstacles to build the agency that he has today. In our conversation, he speaks candidly about the bumps and bruises that he's had to endure along the way. There's a lot to glean in this interview. Enjoy, and go download Frank's e-book, The Actionable Brand for free..
Marla has been where you are. Starting and operating your own business can be lonely, especially when things aren't going well. Whether we talk about it or not, there can be a sense of shame in not succeeding in business. We've all been there, and it's not unlikely that we will be there again some time in the future.
Marla is targeting that sense of self-judgement and doubt with the business people that she coaches. And now she's created an educational platform to help people get over the barriers that they are creating for themselves.
She's become a practitioner of Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) as a means of getting people past the emotional and psychological trauma that we carry from our past. I have zero experience with EFT, and Marla does a great job of talking through how the process works. And yes, there is actual, physical tapping involved.
If you're interested in getting in on a business education program lead by an experienced and encouraging business coach, contact Marla through the links below and let her know that you want in on the next E-School session.
Shauna Mackenzie did what lots of people think about doing. She took the risk of starting a business for herself. But she worked hard to limit her risk as much as possible by starting her business as a side job while she worked the day job that paid her bills. This is what I did too, and I think making the decision to start my business in the evenings and weekends worked out well for me.
Unless you're buying someone else's business, a list of trusting, loyal customers eager to refer you to their friends probably won't fall in your lap the moment you decide to take the leap into business. It takes time to develop a base of customers. And if you take one step back from there, it takes even more time to develop a network of relationships with people who aren't your customers, but will help you find them. You have to accept the fact that this is a process.
It's like gardening. First, you clear away the weeds. Second, you turn up the soil. Third, you plant seeds. And on and on. You don't get to eat the tomato until someting like the seventeenth step. So many of us are "results-oriented" when it comes to business. But good results come from good processes. It's not as sexy, and it may not impress the board of directors, but we would be wise to allow ourselves to be process-oriented with quality results in mind.
Shauna built a consulting business in the evenings and weekends while she worked in the Airforce's public relations offices. She was hired out of college as a temporary worker filling in for people when they were deployed. When the government cut back and Shauna's position was eliminated, she was ready with a handful of Image Consulting clients that she had been developing for months.
Since her early days as an image and personal brand consultant, Shauna started at least two other businesses. When she was ready to pass on some of the knowledge she had gained after working with clients, Shauna launched the Studio for Image Professionals – an online training program for people seeking to become certified image consultants. And just about a year ago, Shauna put together a team of super smart women to launch BestKeptSelf.com – a website magazine and community that publishes daily content devoted to helping women look their best, feel their best, and live their best life.
During our conversation, Shauna talks about her tips for professional networking, the fear traps that most of us fall into over and over again, and why Shauna believes that just about any passion or interest could lead to a successful niche business.
I have a friend – he's been on this podcast – who keeps me accountable and honest about how I live my life. We could all use a friend like this. As business owners, it might be very helpful to have a handful of friends like this. That's one way that Jeff Abbott and Convene help Christian CEO's and business owners.
In our conversation, Jeff talks about how important it is for a person's core values to remain the same regardless of the role that they happen to be playing. In other words, it doesn't matter if you're leading your team at a corporate retreat or your watching your son's baseball game from the bleachers, you should always be operating on a standard set of core values that define who you are and how you conduct your life.
When Jeff meets with his Convene groups, he talks about it as a "sacred space" where people can feel safe to talk about the real issues that are affecting their business. Often times, those issues can be personal. Jeff says it's about "getting real with each other." That's the value of belonging to a tightly knit group of peers who may have already been down that road, or who may help you find a different perspective on the problem.
Take a listen to my conversation with Jeff, and give him a call when you're ready to get real with how your run your business as a Christ follower.
Edison Research is a firm that’s focused on consumer research studies. They provide businesses with information about how Americans are using their phones, the effectiveness of tv ads, and where people are listening to music or getting their news. Every year, Edison Research publishes a study called The Infinite Dial with some pretty interesting information about how we’re consuming media.
In this episode of the Ictus Marketing Podcast, we dive into their report and talk about the implications of the findings. I love this stuff. In a nutshell, online radio is growing fast, smartphones are ubiquitous, podcasts are gaining popularity, and Facebook is still very relevant.
Vincent McCoy is the Executive Director of the Small Business Development Center for the Inland Empire. The SBDC helps all kinds of businesses with consulting and training services aimed at helping people start successful businesses in the Inland Empire. If you need help with marketing, raising capital, accounting practices, or anything else business related, these are people that can help you. And it won't cost you anything! All of their services are free because they are funded through government programs.
I've been hunting for someone with some knowledge about the economy in the Inland Empire and I finally found him. Jack Katzanek from the Inland Empire Economic Partnership joins me on the podcast to talk about jobs, education, and the future of the Inland Empire economy.
Dr. Jenny Darroch is a Professor of Marketing at the Peter F. Drucker and Masatoshi Ito Graduate School of Management and founder of Mollior.com. She is the author of three books including Marketing Through Turbulent Times and Why Marketing to Women Doesn’t Work, and is a regular contributor to the Huffington Post.
In our conversation, Dr. Darroch argues that while the role that women play in consumer society has changed, the marketing strategies that marketers and business owners use to engage women haven't kept up. The days when marketers could simply "shrink it and pink it" are gone. Darroch is calling for a more sophisticated strategy to meet women's needs and understand their purchase motivations.
When you're stuck in a job that you don't like, or you've been doing the same thing for years it's easy to start believing that this is the way things will be forever. But Irene's story proves otherwise. She closed one chapter of her life and started a new one. Irene Gonzalez opened Molino's Coffee in Riverside, CA. Her message is that it's never too late to change direction, to start something new, to take a chance and do something that you love.
Eric Blum has been thinking about how to make the college experience more valuable to the students who are on the edges of academic success and failure. These are the students who have a brain in their head, want to use it to do something cool, but learn best from their experiences rather than their textbooks. His dream is Oak Valley College, and if the state of California could ever get the paperwork through, the doors will open in the Fall of 2015.
Four Pillars of OVC
Christian-based education
Liberal arts orientation
Work-College experience
Career orientation with the Launch Pad Program
In our conversation, Eric talks about all of the ways that Oak Valley College will be unique. First, students will graduate in three years instead of four, because the academic calendar will be year round. But this means lower costs for the students and the college. The programs are geared toward career-development and have real-world experiences baked into the three-year curriculum. And the best part, students will graduate debt-free!
The days of earning a bachelor's degree without debt are falling behind us, but Oak Valley College is making it possible through its work-college structure. Every student will be matched with a business or organization who will provide real-work experience that students can bring back to the classroom to use as learning case studies and discussion topics. Students win because they get applicable experience and earn money toward their bachelor's degree. Employers win because they will have a pool of employees who are engaged in helping them build a stronger business, and are committed to sticking around for three straight years.
If you're a student (or employer) ready to get started on your future, here's how to get connected:
John Manning is the President of MAP Consulting. He's been a professional mentor of mine for several years. He's helped me through job transitions, difficult work situations, and given me coaching on how to take the next steps in my career. He's been incredibly generous with me.
In our conversation, John talks about what to look for in a mentor, and how to get the most value out of the relationship from both ends. If you don't have a mentor, you're missing out.
The Inland Empire of Southern California boasts one of the strongest academic and community-based entrepreneurship programs in the country. Dr. Mike Stull helped found and build the Inland Empire Center for Entrepreneurship (IECE) at California State University San Bernardino.
I'm introducing a new segment called Spy v. Spy as a way to talk about some good marketing examples and some bad marketing examples. Todays examples are Nivea's solar phone charger ad and Yelp's sales tactics.
John Koontz hated shaving, so he decided to upgrade his razor. But the blade that he liked only came in bulk quanitities from overseas. So he started buying in bulk and selling the extras online. Pretty soon, he had a profitable business venture on his hands. He and his wife, Christine committed to the business and they've been expanding ever since.
Devyn Goss used her experience in sales and marketing to start a company that gives women and girls an occasional pink break from the grey world of daily grind. She leverages her business to do something good for people, and she's having a blast doing it. She talks about her start-up journey and the fashion show she's planning to celebrate cancer survivors.
Aaron once told his SEO manager that he would soon be out of a job, because search was no longer a universal game. Instead, everyone's search results are different, unique, personalized. How are we supposed to optimize our websites when we can't possibly know how a user's search results will vary from the norm?
Aaron gives some practical and achievable advice about the best practices of building a site that Google, Bing, and Yahoo will look upon favorably.
Uncle Chancho has been stewing lately about our culture's loss of primal tradition – the rite of passage. He argues that our society is devoid of cultural rites of passage leaving young men without a sense of passing from childhood to adulthood. I disagree. We argue, he quotes Batman, it ends well.
In this episode Matt Leeds and David Carnes of White Frog Design studios talk about the value of process when creating an effective brand. We talk about a lot of other things too, like Plato's cave and nearly walking into a women's restroom.
Ron talks about his new book, Finding Your Crack in the Market: Secrets to Marketing Niche Dominance and Small Business Success. We talk about big picture marketing and how to define your market niche.
Guest, Nick In't Hout has spent the last 10 years working with the millenial generation. We talk about the characteristics of the new greatest generation as well as how to work with them.
