Marketing Mentor Blog
The Marketing Mix
Read, watch and listen to the latest insights from Marketing Mentor & friends
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How one designer stopped writing huge tax checks
Here's the latest guest blog post from web designer, Jill Anderson of Jill Lynn Design, a long time Marketing Mentor client who's often sharing what she's learned about running...
What is a "brand coach?"
Podcast #395 Designers who Coach with Sandra Koenig I recently wrote that, during the pandemic, several designers I’ve been working with have taken the opportunity to evolve their business toward...
Reframing + Sagacious Delay = Something Much Be...
I know 2020 has been weird and crazy and for some pretty awful. But could it also be the best thing that ever happened to your business?That's one way to...
Handling Personal Crisis When You’re Self Employed
Podcast Episode #394: Personal Crisis When You’re Self Employed with Jeanine Davis Have you ever had an experience, an emotional experience or traumatic or life-changing experience, and felt like you...
Which attitude do you bring to your work?
There are 2 ways to approach your work: as order taker (an employee mindset) or as strategic partner (an entrepreneurial mindset). And it doesn’t really matter who’s signing your paycheck...
Need help crafting calls-to-action?
I just updated and re-launched an oldie-but-goodie from my website. It’s a comprehensive post on how to do calls-to-action on your website! I recommend having two, not just one, because...
Are you procrastinating or....?
Should we be sending out email newsletters and posting on social media when the world is on fire? Should we use these platforms for messages that go beyond marketing? That's...
Does your creative business need a budget?
Podcast Episode #393: Budgets & Bankruptcy with Ean Murphy In today’s episode of the MarketingMentorPodcast.com, I talked with Ean Murphy of Moxie Bookkeeping and Coaching about budgets (yours) and bankruptcy (hers)....
Is It Time to Reframe Your Business?
Most of the time, I think of my business as a journey of personal development, through which I learn and grow up a little bit more every day, while having...
Do You Yearn for Your Clients to Love You?
Podcast Episode #392: On the Signs of Strong Client Relationships with Michael e. Stern In the latest podcast chat with my old friend, veteran creative professional and photographer, Michael e. Stern,...
[Case Study] How Mikel Found the Focus and Fram...
By Mikel Martinez, Mikel Media Marketing Mentor Resources I discovered Ilise Benun on the Unemployable podcast’s How to Earn More on Every Project with Tiered Pricing episode. I immediately...
[Podcast] #391 Pandemic derail your plans? Not ...
You were off to a great start. First quarter of 2020 was almost over and this was going to be your year! And then, well, you know what happened. Now your plans...
What Not To Do With Your Ideal Client
Here's a guest post by Alice Watts, copywriter for pension industry As a relatively new copywriter, it’s very exciting when your ideal client somehow finds you on LinkedIn and wants...
Lost wallet…found perspective
Well, my goodness! Quite the whirlwind, isn’t it? When news of COVID-19 started unfolding, I felt very uncertain like most of us. (Ilise nailed it when she said it feels like...
Do You Have A Chair? [QTMM 4-20-20]
It feels to me like we're playing a global game of musical chairs. For some the music has stopped and you have no chair. For others, the music is slowly...
[Podcast] How to Strengthen Your Financial Heal...
For obvious reasons, I’ve been thinking and writing lately about what makes a healthy business. At the moment, a lot of people are discovering that their business isn’t as healthy...
3 things that will make your business healthy
One thing has become clear in the last month: a healthy business is an essential. By healthy, I mean: Your mindset is clear and positive and flexible, always on the...
It's so quiet [QTMM 3-30-20]
It is very quiet here in my little corner of the world. And while I'm not actually less busy, the frantic "busy-ness" is gone. I'm spending more time thinking and cooking.And,...
[Video] Beyond the Basics of LinkedIn
Thanks to the one and only Melanie "The Marketer" Deardorff, who shared some excellent "pro tips" about LinkedIn at the recent Office Hours group coaching session (part of the Simplest...
2 Ways to Handle Difficulty
From what I've read, there are 2 ways to handle difficulties in life: You can react with fear, anxiety, despair, etc. (i.e. the typical way) Or you can respond calmly,...
[Case Study] How Sarah Adapted Marketing Best P...
By Sarah Pike, FreeFall Laser, did One-on-One Coaching My business is a mix of solitary moments and time spent with artists, book binders, conservators, makers and visual artists. Every custom laser cutting...
[Podcast] #389 Perseverance as a Creative Busin...
We are the lucky ones. There is no better time than right now to be self employed... ...to have control over your career, over your time and, especially, over your...
3 Helpful Resources for Today (3-18-20)
I'm watching closely as things continue to change from moment to moment and everything I write seems out of sync by the time I go to post it. So for now, I'm simply...
What I'm Doing Right Now [QTMM 3-16-20]
Things are changing, and fast. I hope you're flexible.One thing is for sure, whatever happens, it's going to be bad for some but good for others. So now would be...
[Podcast] #388 Should you still be blogging? I ...
I know it’s all coronavirus all the time these days in the media but this podcast episode is not about that. However, I will say this: if your business or...
How to use questions as a marketing tool (and w...
If you're waiting around for clients to come asking for what they need, you will not get very far. If you want to be perceived as a strategic partner with...
[Podcast] The Best CRM for Copywriters, Designe...
I am asked at least once a week which CRM (Customer Relationship Management) software I recommend to keep track of clients and prospects. Here's my official answer: You don't need a...
[Podcast] How to Succeed by Connecting with Con...
Connecting with content is about making genuine connections. How to do that is what Sandler Training wanted to know more about. So, I spoke with Mike Montague about how to...
Want to be valued for your brain? [QTMM 2-12-20]
Tired of being treated like a pair of hands? Want to be valued for your brain and your ideas? My advice: stop blaming your clients and start acting like the...
Do Your Clients Want Everything Instantly?
I like getting things fast just as much as the next person. I like it when my groceries are ready for pick up when I get to the store. As...
[Case Study] How Yamilca Found Focus and Gained...
By Yamilca Montanez, Saint James Studios and Small Group Coaching Program Member I’ve been a follower (more like a groupie) of Ilise’s since 2012 and later met her at a HOW conference...
[Podcast] #385 When to Trust Your Gut with Dr. ...
If you’ve found yourself questioning the “go with your gut” advice, perhaps you will be interested to hear more from someone who advises doing just the opposite. I spoke with...
2019 by the numbers
First, let me start by saying, I am so freaking grateful to enter this new decade still doing the work I love. Since 2010 especially, I’ve realized that for me,...
How to present as your most natural self
Did you know... When you return something at a store, you are presenting. When you run into someone in the hallway and ask a question that's been on your mind,...
Running out of blogging ideas?
Are you still the same exact person you were 10 years ago? Do you have the same skillset? Would you want to be vetted by new clients based on the...
20 Strategic Networking Steps for Your Next Bus...
Here's an article by Allen Kratz, Principal of Resilience Works, a climate consulting firm, who is following the Simplest Marketing Plan and sharing what he's learning about strategic networking. (Scroll down...
Join me for 3 Online Summits this month
Good things come in threes -- I'm participating in 3 online summits this month and you're invited. They're all free (with various upgrade options) so check them out and join me...
[Case Study] How Danielle Uses Networking to Be...
By Danielle Hughes, More Than Words Marketing Small Group Coaching Program Member and One-on-One Coaching For my first 10+ years as a generalist freelance writer, word-of-mouth referrals had been...
[Podcast] #384 How to Avoid Distraction and Lea...
What's the opposite of distraction? It's probably not what you think... I'm kicking off the new decade with a special conversation with Nir Eyal, international best-selling author of a new...
Sale on Marketing Plans for Creative Pros (exte...
MARKETING PLANS FOR CREATIVE PROS!All marketing plans for $49 or less!Whether you're just starting out or ready to level up and find better clients in 2020, I've got an affordable marketing...
2 Personal Podcast Interviews
I tend to keep pretty clear boundaries between my personal and professional lives. But I was recently asked more personal questions on 2 different podcasts that were both released this...
3 Questions for 2020 [QTMM 12-18-19]
1. What will you leave behind as we move into the new decade?2. What mistakes did you make in the last decade that you vow never to repeat -- and...
Cold emails worked on me!
Freelancers often reach out to introduce themselves and see if I can give them work. While I’ve gotten plenty of cold emails in the past, I never responded. The timing was never...
[Podcast] #383 Attract Ideal Clients & Repel Ti...
If have had trouble picking a niche, or maybe you've picked one and just aren’t sure if it’s the right one, you’ll enjoy my conversation with Pamela Slim. You may...
Simplest Marketing Planner: December Extras (20...
On December 5, 2019 I gave the 12th (and last) session of "Office Hours" in 2019 for the final installment of the Simplest Marketing Plan for 2019. But don't worry -- there is a Simplest...
[Podcast] #382 You, a Book Coach? with Jennie Nash
Have you ever heard of a book coach? It’s a relatively new thing, but it is definitely a thing – and a thing that has evolved out of the changes in...
I hired someone who does what I do
As my pile of work grew, I realized I needed someone to take things off my plate. Yet, whenever I would get behind with work, my mind would tell me: It’s...
[Podcast] #381 How to Make Your Marketing About...
Adam Fairhead of Fairhead Creative is a kindred spirit, albeit younger and with a British accent. He approached me earlier in the year to be on the MarketingMentorPodcast.com and he’s...
Simplest Marketing Planner: November Extras (20...
On November 7, 2019 I gave the 11th session of "Office Hours" for the 11th installment of the Simplest Marketing Plan for 2019. This planner represents my best effort yet to: simplify marketing...
[Case Study] 5 Lessons from a Photographer Who ...
By Aaron Dougherty, Aaron Dougherty Photography. I’d like to think that my photography business has grown these past seven years because of my hard work and client-focused mindset. But when I...