Trust Is The New Currency: A Raw 2025 Digital Marketing Truth Bomb

I need to be real with you about what's happening in content marketing right now. After a decade in this space, what I've witnessed in the past 30 days is unprecedented. If someone's trying to sell you their "proven framework" for lead optimization in 2025, they're completely disconnected from the ground reality of social platforms.

Here's what's actually happening: Trust has become the new digital currency. Full Stop.

Let's drop the marketing speak for a minute. Content isn't for lead generation anymore – it's for trust generation. And if you're still chasing leads while ignoring trust, you're fighting yesterday's battle.

Think about why you follow your favorite creators or brands. Is it because they offered you some flashy discount code or a free PDF? Or is it because they consistently show up in your feed with content that actually makes your life better?

Yeah, I thought so.

Here's what nobody else is telling you:

• A lead without trust is just an unsubscribe waiting to happen

• Trust without an immediate conversion is an investment in future growth

• Gated content might build your email list, but trusted content builds your empire

Why is lead generation dwindling? Simple. People are exhausted.

They're tired of:

• Random "experts" sliding into their DMs

• Being sold to every time they open social media

• Handing over their email for another useless PDF

• The constant barrage of "valuable content" that offers zero value

Let's talk about the elephant in the room. Too many people have been burned by digital marketers. You know the type – the ones posting about making "$20k a month" who sell you a vague template that doesn't work. When you seek help, they either ghost you or blame your "mindset."

Now you're stuck with:

• Trust issues with marketers

• A feeling of failure because their "proven methods" didn't work

• Skepticism about content creation because "what's the point?"

• Hesitation to invest in content because you've been burned before

Want to know if you're on the right track? Answer these questions honestly:

1. Is your content actually worth saving and sharing?

2. Are you hoarding your best insights behind lead magnets?

3. Do you have real relationships in your DMs, or just a database?

If your answers are No, Yes, and No – we need to talk.

Here's why trustworthy organic content isn't an expense – it's your most valuable digital asset:

• It becomes reference material for your industry

• It documents your journey and expertise

• It builds credibility that compounds over time

• It works for you 24/7, unlike ads that die when you stop paying

While others are still doing trust-breaking marketing in 2025, you have a choice. You can:

• Keep chasing vanishing leads

• Keep buying into "proven frameworks"

• Keep wondering why your content isn't converting

Or...

You can start building something that actually matters – trust that translates into lasting influence.

The truth is, every piece of content you create is either building or breaking trust. There's no middle ground anymore.

If you're tired of:

• Following outdated playbooks

• Chasing leads that go nowhere

• Creating content that doesn't convert

• Watching your competitors build real relationships

Then it's time we talked. Because while everyone else is optimizing for algorithms, we could be optimizing for trust.

The real question isn't "Can you afford to invest in trust-building content?"

It's "Can you afford not to?"

The future of digital marketing isn't about who can generate the most leads. It's about who can generate the most trust. Where do you want to be?

Why Your Marketing Strategy Needs a Complete Backup Plan

We're witnessing the beginning of a significant shift. The "Delete Meta" movement, once a fringe concept, is gaining momentum, and savvy marketers are starting to pay attention for the businesses they're working for. Here's why you should too, and more importantly, what you can do about it.

Several factors are converging to make this year particularly weird for digital marketers:

1. Growing privacy concerns and increased awareness about social media's impact on mental health

2. The rise of alternative platforms and digital spaces

3. Changing consumer behavior and expectations around brand communications

4. Increasing skepticism about traditional social media platforms

5. The impact of AI and evolving content consumption patterns

If we learned anything from the 12-hour Tiktok "ban," the writing is on the wall: relying solely on any single platform is increasingly risky. 

Here's what forward-thinking brands need to be doing:

Diversify Your Digital Presence

• Explore emerging platforms while maintaining your existing presence

• Build direct communication channels with your audience (email lists, SMS, private communities)

• Invest in owned media properties like your website and blog

Strengthen First-Party Data Collection

• Develop strategies to collect and utilize customer data ethically

• Create valuable content that encourages direct relationship-building

• Focus on building an email list that you control

Experiment with Alternative Platforms

• Test content on newer or different platforms where your audience might be migrating

• Pay attention to engagement metrics across all channels

• Be ready to pivot resources based on performance

The key to surviving and thriving in this shifting landscape isn't just having a Plan B—it's about developing a flexible, multi-channel approach that can adapt as quickly as your audience's preferences change.

Remember: The goal isn't to abandon ship at the first sign of trouble but to ensure your brand's success isn't completely dependent on any single platform's performance or popularity.

Taking Action Now

Start by asking yourself these critical questions:

• How dependent is your marketing strategy on Meta platforms?

• What would happen if you lost access to 30% of your social media audience overnight?

• Which alternative channels could you develop to maintain connection with your audience?

The time to prepare isn't when the shift happens – it's now before these changes accelerate. While some might see these platform shifts as a threat, smart marketers will recognize them as an opportunity to build more resilient, diverse, and effective marketing strategies.

The marketing landscape of 2025 might be "weird," but with proper preparation and a willingness to adapt, your brand can not only survive but thrive in this changing environment.

If you’re ready for a contingency plan, let’s chat.

The Dolly Doctrine: Building an Empire with Heart

Like most other Sundays, I'll put on my favorite vinyl this morning and sip coffee for 37 hours. 🙃

But this weekend's selection is special - it's “Dolly Parton and Family Smoky Mountain DNA,” because January 19th is Dolly Parton's birthday.

As the needle drops and that warm, familiar voice fills my living room, I can't help but think about how this woman from Tennessee has shaped not just music but modern business itself.

My Sunday vinyl sessions are always special because it slows me down to actually think.

And lately, I've been thinking about how the Queen of Country isn't just a musician – she's a masterclass in business strategy hiding in plain sight.

While most people see the rhinestones and big hair, I see a woman who built a billion-dollar empire by breaking every conventional rule in the business playbook by being herself.

It hits me between the crackles and pops of these vintage records: in today's fast-paced business world, we could all benefit from asking ourselves more often, "What Would Dolly Do?"

In a career spanning over 50 years, Dolly Parton hasn't just built an empire – she's redefined what it means to be a leader with heart. Here's how we can all channel a little more Dolly in our professional lives:

1. Authenticity is your superpower. Dolly never tried to be anyone but herself, even when critics dismissed her. She turned her unique personality into her greatest asset. In business, your authenticity can be your strongest differentiator. As Dolly says, "Figure out who you are and do it on purpose."

2. Diversify and reinvent, but stay true to your core. From music to theme parks to movies – Dolly's brilliance lies in expanding while maintaining her essence. Remember: Growth doesn't mean abandoning your foundations. Her empire includes everything from entertainment to hospitality, but each venture carries her distinct stamp.

3. Lead with generosity. Dolly's Imagination Library has given away millions of books to children. Her business model proves that profit and purpose can coexist beautifully. Success means lifting others as you climb. During the pandemic, she donated $1 million to help fund Moderna's vaccine research – that's Dolly-level thinking.

4. Work like you mean it. Behind the rhinestones and big hair is one of the hardest-working people in show business. Excellence doesn't happen by accident – it takes early mornings and determination. Dolly famously said, "Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life," but she also starts her day at 3 AM to make things happen.

5. Treat everyone with respect. From executives to custodial staff, Dolly's known for treating everyone with equal dignity. True leadership isn't about power – it's about how you make people feel. Her theme park, Dollywood, is consistently rated one of the best places to work because of this philosophy.

The true genius of Dolly's approach? She makes business personal.

Her famous quote "It takes a lot of money to look this cheap" isn't just about appearance – it's about understanding your brand, owning it, and turning perceived weaknesses into strengths. She's proven that being underestimated can be your greatest advantage if you know how to leverage it.

In today's business world, we could all benefit from asking ourselves: "What Would Dolly Do?"

The answer usually involves being smarter than people expect, kinder than necessary, and always ready to put in the work while wearing a smile.

Why DIYing Social Media Is Costing You Time, Money, and Growth

Think of social media as the professional attire of the digital age – it's the first impression you make on potential clients, the handshake before the conversation begins. Just as you wouldn't walk into a high-stakes meeting underdressed, your brand shouldn't appear online without proper presentation.

Marketing isn't just about promoting products or services; it's about crafting your brand's story and consistently communicating your value to the world. It's the warm smile of customer service translated into digital touchpoints that resonate with your audience.

Many business owners hesitate to outsource their social media marketing, viewing it as an unnecessary expense. However, consider this: every hour your team spends crafting posts, planning content, and staying current with platform changes is an hour they're not closing deals or serving clients.

The ROI of professional social media management isn't just measured in likes and shares – it's measured in the precious time returned to your sales team to do what they do best: SELL.

While sales drive immediate revenue, social media plays a more nuanced but equally crucial role. It builds trust and credibility, transforming casual scrollers into loyal customers. When someone's ready to make a purchase decision, you want your brand to be the first that comes to mind, accompanied by positive associations built through consistent, quality content.

Professional content creators and social media strategists do more than JUST post pretty pictures & updates – we're brand architects who:

• Craft compelling narratives that showcase your expertise

• Build and maintain your digital reputation

• Keep pace with evolving platform trends and algorithms

• Create engaging content that resonates with your target audience

• Maintain consistent brand voice across all channels

The social media landscape isn't static – it's constantly evolving.

Running a business is demanding enough without trying to stay ahead of every digital marketing update and, dare I say, trend.

Professional social media management isn't just an expense; it's an investment in your brand's future relevance.

For businesses still questioning the value of outsourcing social media marketing services, consider this: your competitors are likely already investing in their digital presence. In today's market, a strong social media strategy isn't optional – it's essential for staying competitive, relevant, and memorable in a sea of noise.

Social media isn't going anywhere; it's evolving into something more sophisticated and integral to business success. The question isn't whether to invest in social media marketing, but rather: can you afford not to?

The true value of social media marketing lies not in individual posts or campaigns but in the cumulative effect of consistent, professional brand presence that builds trust, enhances credibility, and frees your team to focus on what they do best – GROWING and running your business.

Ready to transform your social media presence? My inbox is always open. Let's discuss how we can amplify your brand's voice and create meaningful connections with your audience.

Zhoosh Your Socials: A Year-End Survival Guide For Your Social Media Marketing

 We’ve arrived weeks 51 and 52 are here! And the last things that you might be thinking about is your marketing. 

I feel you. You’re burnt out, social media and all the digital marketing was ALOT this year. I get it you want to just go and disassociate but in a festive way these last couple of weeks.

However, this is the quietest time of the year on social which means it’s truly a great time to make some updates to your profiles and zhoosh while everyone is celebrating and doing things IRL

Here’s a checklist of what I do at this time of year for clients’ socials and a few suggestions I do personally. The most important thing this year is to make sure 2 Factor is enabled on all accounts, including your website, and to download your data from this year on your platforms. 

Social Media Retrospective

• Review your past year's posts and delete or archive content that no longer represents you

• Take screenshots or save memorable moments you want to keep for personal memory

• Remove posts that might be outdated, unprofessional, or no longer align with your current brand or personal image.  I.e. any shipping or order by deadline photos

Profile Cleanup

• Update your profile pictures and cover photos to reflect your current professional or personal aesthetic

• Review and refresh your bio information

• Check and update any links in your profiles (personal websites, portfolios, contact information)

Platform Assessment

• Evaluate which social media platforms have been most beneficial or enjoyable for you

• Consider unfollowing or muting accounts that don't add value or positivity to your feed

• Remove connections that no longer serve your personal or professional goals

Privacy and Security

• Review your privacy settings on each platform

• Update your passwords

• Check which third-party apps have access to your social media accounts and remove unnecessary permissions

• Enable two-factor authentication if you haven't already

  Digital Detox and Strategy

• Reflect on your social media usage and set boundaries for the upcoming year

• Consider creating a content calendar or posting schedule

• Set realistic goals for your social media presence (e.g., more meaningful interactions, less scrolling)

Archive and Backup

• Download an archive of your social media data

• Save important photos, memories, and posts to a personal cloud or external storage

• Clear out old direct messages and conversations you no longer need

Engagement Reflection

• Review your most engaging posts from the past year

• Understand what type of content resonated with your audience

• Use these insights to inform your content strategy for the next year

Look, I know this might seem like just another "to-do" list during a time when you're trying to wind down and enjoy the holidays. But think of this as a gift to yourself – a little digital self-care that sets you up for a more intentional and less stressful new year.

This isn't about hustling through the holidays. It's about creating space. Space to breathe. Space to reflect. Space to reset your digital boundaries before the new year kicks into high gear.

Pro tip? Do this with a festive drink in hand. Put on some music or a podcast you’ve been meaning to listen to. Make it fun. Turn this "maintenance" into a moment of personal celebration. You've survived another wild year of digital marketing – and that absolutely deserves a toast.

Who knows? By the time everyone else is scrolling mindlessly into the new year, you'll be feeling organized, empowered, and ready to crush your 2025 digital strategy.

Cheers to you, entrepreneurial warrior. You've got this. 🥂✨

P.S. Don't forget to actually take a break too. Your followers (and your mental health) will thank you.

The 5th Quarter: Marketing's Hidden Season of Renewal and Reflection

At the University of Wisconsin, there's this thing called the 5th Quarter after every home football game. It's a beloved tradition where fans stay; the marching band comes out and essentially lets loose. The 5th Quarter starts right after the 4th Quarter ends, which is how I look at the month of January.

Sure, technically, January is the first Quarter of the next year, but expect everyone's emotions to still be full from the four quarters: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Decorating for Christmas/Winter, and Celebrating Christmas/Hanukkah.

Hear me out here.

I've enjoyed my share of fifth quarters at Badger games, and the ones after a win are always more energized and uplifting than the ones after a loss. However, the ones after a loss serve their purpose as well, bringing us together even when things don't go our way. 

(This obviously isn’t football but it’s the only photo I have from that time in my life, cause life.)

January in marketing is the same way.

For some people, the holidays are so great that they're coming off of them like a win from their home team, and for others, they want to quietly forget what happened and slide into the next game.

In my little world, January is the 5th Quarter of whatever year just happened, and February is the actual start of the 1st Quarter of business.

The majority of people are recouping from the holiday. They are trying to ground and refocus on the blur of celebrations, food, and card-swiping that just happened. So when you are marketing all of your things and people are not purchasing them in January, it's not because they don't want them; it's because, well, they have been overwhelmed for the past 30ish days. 

I'll keep saying it because I feel like it's getting lost in the noise marketing is all about psychology and emotions. People.  Marketing is about humans.

And as humans our biological cycles are similar to a bear when it comes to winter, to go inward, reflect, grow from the inside and get deeper roots. 

And as the marketer of your business you've also got to embrace this concept of the human psyche that people are going inward during this 5th Quarter.

Here are some suggestions for embracing and making the most of this unique transitional 5th Quarter, AKA January:

Personal Reflection and Reset

• Take time for introspection, similar to how a football team reviews game footage after a match

• Journal about your experiences from the previous year

• Set intentional, gentle goals that align with your natural energy levels during this quieter time

Slow Marketing and Connection Strategies

• Create low-pressure, empathetic marketing content that acknowledges people's post-holiday exhaustion

• Develop nurturing, relationship-building campaigns that don't demand immediate action

• Share content that provides value, comfort, and gentle motivation

Self-Care and Regeneration

• Embrace the "bear-like" instinct to go inward

• Focus on personal development through reading, learning, or taking online courses

• Practice mindfulness and meditation to help reset your mental and emotional state

Business Planning and Strategy

• Use this time for deep strategic planning

• Review the previous year's performance

• Create flexible, adaptable business plans that recognize the human need for recovery

Community and Connection

• Host low-key networking events or virtual meetups

• Create spaces for genuine, supportive conversations

• Develop content that validates the collective experience of post-holiday recalibration

So, as we navigate this fifth Quarter—whether we're riding the high of a winning season or processing a tough loss—remember that marketing isn't about pushing harder. It's about understanding the human rhythm, respecting energy's natural ebb and flow, and creating space for genuine connection.

Embrace the quiet. Listen to the whispers of potential. Let your marketing be a warm invitation rather than a loud demand. Just as the Badger marching band finds joy in both victory and challenge, we can, too, find meaning in this transitional space.

February will come. The first Quarter will kick off. But for now, take a breath. Reflect. Reconnect. Your audience—those wonderfully complex, emotionally nuanced humans—are doing the same. And when they're ready, they'll be eager to hear your story, engage with your passion, and join your journey.

Welcome to the 5th Quarter. Welcome home.

Defluencing in 2025: Why Real Beats Perfect on Social Media

There’s only a few more weeks left of the year (Hallelujah!) and as we move toward 2025 you might be in marketing planning mode or maybe you’re zoning out and navigating these next couple weeks on cruise control either way save this email because I’m going to talk about 2025 and what I’m anticipating could be the social media “trends”.

Everything I’ve read lately from the industry “experts” and even when I asked my AI friend what the social media marketing trends are for 2025 is all geared towards Gen Z. They’ve skipped over Gen X and Millennials, and let’s face it, we’re the ones steering this social ship, or at least we can be.

This month, I really opened up my SBDC advising calendar, and with all of the businesses I’ve met, this sentiment has come through in one way or another: “I want to be real on social media.”  And friend, the scroller wants you to be real as well.

My relationship with social media has been evolving for at least the last 18 months. I’ve been getting clients on board with a less curated look, leaving things messy in some photos, not overexposing and blowing out the green colors in photos, and offering the scroller something somewhat REAL because IRL things are messy and complicated.

Real life doesn’t care if the kitchen island is clean or the clothes are folded and put away perfectly. It rarely ends like a Hallmark Christmas movie with red snowflake sweaters and a Main Street with twinkling lights.

Real life is thick with challenges and extraordinary.

Real life is holding loss and love at the same time.

And what I’ve noticed is that these photos—these “messy” photos—get scroll stopped more and engaged with more. Why? People are sick of scrolling and, with each thumb flip, feeling like a failure because their life doesn’t look like a movie set.

So, in case you need a reminder, stop thinking that you’re failing at life because yours doesn’t look the same as someone’s on social media. If anything, Gen Z, Millennials, and even some Gen Xers are part of a sad generation posting only happy photos.

(More on that in 2025)

Life- real life doesn’t have to be aesthetically pleasing or expensive to be fulfilling or beautiful.

The social media “norm” isn’t actually normal.

And that’s what I want you to walk away with as a 2025 social media “trend” the defluencing movement.  The movement of where we are ourselves online. The movement where success is defined as checking in and meeting our communities where they are at. The movement where we focus on talking and connecting to who is already there rather than constantly seeking new people. The movement where when we meet you in real life, we get the same person who is showing up on your social. The movement where we stop overproduction and stop taking all of this social media stuff SOOOOO damn seriously. 

The movement where we aren’t constantly selling and instead connecting and allowing the sales to come.

If anything, social in 2025 is going to be ALL ads by this time next year, and the only way to set yourself apart is to be yourself. Because the universe sent you here because the collective needs you to be who you are.

And who you are won’t be for everyone, and that’s OK- your people will find you. 

They already have; they are called your “followers,” aka your community. They are waiting for you to talk to them instead of seeking new members because the number isn’t big enough.

Because someone on social media has your perception so messed up that a low number is not good enough- whether your community is 20 or 20,000- those people want to hear from you.

Keep showing up.

The Heart of Marketing: Beyond Products to Human Connection

The most successful marketers are part psychologist, part storyteller, and part empathetic listener. They don't just sell products—they create meaningful connections that resonate deeply with human experience.

In the marketing landscape, there's a profound truth that separates exceptional brands from forgettable noise: the people coming up with the concepts are part psychologist, part storyteller, and part empathetic listener. They understand that marketing isn't about selling products—it's about creating meaningful connections that resonate deeply with human experience.

Building and communicating with a community, if you will.

The Psychological Lens

Imagine marketing as a bridge between human needs and potential solutions. This bridge isn't built with facts and features but with understanding. A true marketing psychologist doesn't just look at demographics; they look deeper. They seek to understand the unspoken desires, hidden fears, and quiet dreams that drive human behavior.

When Nike tells you to "Just Do It," it's not selling shoes. It addresses the internal struggle between mind and body, doubt and potential. When Dove creates campaigns about real beauty, it's confronting deep-seated insecurities about self-worth. These brands have mastered the art of seeing beyond the surface.

They tune in to what's happening with their community and telling a story.

Storytelling in marketing is not about crafting a narrative—it's about revealing universal truths. The most powerful marketing doesn't interrupt people's lives; it becomes a part of their personal narrative. Think about brands that have become cultural touchstones. They don't just communicate; they connect.

A great marketing story focuses on something other than what a product does. It explores what a product means. It transforms a simple purchase into a chapter of personal transformation, be it outer or inner.

It's empathetic. 

Empathy is the secret weapon of extraordinary marketers. It's about hearing what's not being said, about understanding the emotion behind the complaint and the aspiration behind the purchase.

An empathetic marketer doesn't just collect data; they collect human experiences. They recognize that behind every click, every purchase, there's a human with hopes, challenges, and a unique story waiting to be understood.

When you embrace an empathetic approach- it transforms marketing from a transactional experience to a meaningful interaction. It's about:

• Recognizing individual journeys

• Validating human emotions

• Offering solutions that genuinely improve lives

Our world right now is so noisy. One sentiment that I have been hearing from friends and purely social users is that they are SO over all of the ads, influencers, and people tapping a product with their nails. They are SO over it that they aren't even scrolling anymore. Instead, they go to their search bar and type in the person's name they want to see a post from. 

When people move away from scrolling, your marketing needs to become more elevated and otherworldly.

Marketing, at its most elevated form, is not about selling. It's about understanding. It's about creating moments of recognition where a person feels seen, understood, and supported.

When Apple shows how technology can unleash creativity, it is doing more than marketing a product. It is acknowledging human potential. When Patagonia highlights environmental sustainability, it connects with people's deeper values.

A New Marketing Paradigm

The future of marketing belongs to those who can:

• Listen with genuine curiosity

• Tell stories that matter

• See the human behind the customer

• Communicates with their community instead of always seeking new community members.

• Posts with intention

So in this world saturated with messages, meaningful connection is the rarest commodity. The most successful marketers don't just reach audiences—they reach souls. They understand that behind every purchase is a human seeking something more than a product: validation, hope, potential, belonging.

Marketing isn't about what you sell. It's about who you understand. It's time to get back to a human connection and an understanding that not everyone is meant to be a part of your community. 

Storytelling, Authenticity, and Martha: The Roots of Modern Content Creation

Before Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube, there was MARTHA - the original influencer who revolutionized lifestyle content before "content creation" was even a term.

Over the weekend, I watched the Martha Stewart documentary, and it hit me: she literally invented the influencer playbook decades before social media existed. Think about it - Martha created aspirational content, built a lifestyle brand, and monetized personal expertise WAY before anyone else.

What Martha understood maybe before anyone else:

• Personal brand is everything

• People don't just want products - they want a lifestyle

• Authenticity and expertise are the ultimate currency

• Turning domestic skills into a multi-million-dollar empire

There were plenty of Martha Stewart magazines floating around my house growing up, and looking back now, putting two and two together, that style of photography definitely influenced the way that I saw the world and objects. My mom would see things in Living and then search for them at the antique stores and flea markets she took me and my brother to. Then, she would mimic the way it was styled in the magazine when we got back home. 

While the original Living magazines discussed antique finds in Connecticut shops and then brought dupes to the aisles of Kmart to make it attainable for those who lived outside of Connecticut, the lifestyle influencers of today are showing you that you can attain the same aesthetic from your local thrift stores. 

At one of the vision boarding get-togethers I went to a few years ago, I did take a completely intact 2002 Living magazine, and for some reason, it's made all of the moves I've had since then. But when I went searching for it after I watched the documentary and flipped through it while eating leftover pie, I got to a page that looked like what my Explore page on Instagram looks like right before a holiday.  

And how powerful is it that page 228 of a 2002 magazine still has the same aesthetic that was so groundbreaking 22 years ago? 

She wasn't just selling recipes or home decor—she was selling an entire aesthetic, a way of LIVING. Martha Stewart was doing flatlays, tutorial content, and lifestyle branding before we had filters, follower counts, or even a term to call what she was doing. She was literally the prototype and the architect for every lifestyle influencer you follow or are suggested to follow today. 

From magazine spreads to TV shows and cookbooks to product lines - Martha didn't just create content; she created an entire ecosystem around her personal brand- which, when you talk to almost any younger millennial or Gen Z, is what they are trying to attain, with their podcasts, substack subscriptions, social feeds, affiliate links, and merch drops.

Talk about being ahead of her time.

The difference, however, is that Martha wanted people to get back to a time of enjoying life surrounded by pretty things and flavorful food. The lifestyle brands of today, it seems, want the world to live as they do because their way is the only way to do it correctly.

But the way the energy feels moving toward next year, at least from a marketing perspective, is that this one foundational value from the booming Living days holds true. Authenticity and expertise are the ultimate currency. 

AKA storytelling.

Marketing to build an empire is truly storytelling; hell, everything that is marketing is storytelling. 

In my experience of monitoring post analytics, the best-performing posts have been the ones when the business gets vulnerable and shares something real—not some "Today was the best Thanksgiving ever, my family is better than your family" type stuff. 

Something where it walks the fine line of oversharing and just enough to touch on a similar experience that a scroller can also relate to.

If I have noticed anything in the last nine months of my daily life on social media, it's that people are truly beginning to see through the facade of the overstyled photo and cutesy caption and craving something real and relatable.

So, if you have been feeling uninspired lately and want to get back to the roots of personal branding, find the documentary or look through the magazines at your local thrift store or library donation table. If there's a Living there, pick it up and flip through it. Then, let me know what you think about it all.

All of this, however, has brought up my next question—is this also where our need to post only aesthetically perfect photos along with happy captions began?  Blog coming soon. 

De-Grumping Marketing: A Teacher's Mindset for Small Business Success: A Guest Blog from Yat-Yee Chong

This is the last week of guest blog posts, and I am so grateful to have a network of business owners who also really enjoy writing. My guest this week is Yat-Yee Chong of Axon Martial Arts, now you might be wondering what does a martial arts instructor have to say about marketing. She shares how her decades of experience as a teacher have transformed her approach to sales and marketing for her small business, Axon Martial Arts Academy. Frustrated by the noisy, overwhelming world of modern business promotion, she discovered a powerful solution: applying her teaching principles to marketing.

Yat-Yee reveals two key insights that have reshaped her entrepreneurial mindset: facilitating discovery and earning trust. Instead of viewing marketing as a separate, energy-draining task, she now sees it as an extension of her core teaching mission. She approaches sales with the same care, patience, and intentionality she brings to her classroom – filtering information, creating meaningful connections, and prioritizing authentic communication over quick wins.

The result is a more energizing, compassionate approach to business promotion that keeps her integrity intact and reduces the stress of marketing in a complex digital landscape. Her story offers a refreshing perspective for entrepreneurs struggling to make their voice heard amid the constant barrage of online noise.

I’ll let Yat-Yee take it from here.

Owning a small business today requires an entrepreneur to do so much more besides the core business. A friend of mine dubs himself “Hats”, as in the wearer of all of them. My preferred term is Chief Dragon.

I knew this from the piano-teaching business I owned in the nineties, yet I was still surprised by how different it is to do business today, especially in the sales and marketing space, how much noisier it has become. 

To be heard above the barrage of information thrown incessantly at audiences: offers, scams, truths, lies, slime, threats, hypes, value, over-promises, ads disguised as reviews, has become the bane of my business existence, eating up my bandwidth.

And made me grumpy. A grumpy entrepreneur is not good for anything, not the business, clients, my family, and certainly not my well being

Thus began my de-grumping quest. 

One thing emerged from this (still ongoing) journey: a mindset shift.

Instead of feeling unmoored by decisions on how to present my business to the public, I now guide them using the same principles that have served me well in my 30+ years of teaching career:

a teacher's goal is to facilitate discovery and to earn trust by communicating effectively. 

Facilitating discovery

Passing on information is not what teachers do. It wasn’t even when knowledge was less easily available and it is certainly not true today. 

What do teachers do? We

• filter, validate, and sequence content

• present it 

• observe how each student learns

• find ways to lead them beyond rote-learning to experiencing, investigating, comparing, puzzling over, struggling with, and finally understanding and generalizing what they learn. 

It is not a straightforward path. And it’s different in every single teaching interaction. A teacher’s mind constantly taking in information from the responses of students as a basis to diagnose, spot holes, determine readiness, sense teachability, examine our own understanding, and then figure out a hierarchy of importance for what we can do, cut out, add, so that we re-present in a more effective way. 

This is the process that drives teachers. This is what we love and thrive on. This is what convinces us that we are doing necessary work.

How does this translate to marketing and sales

At the very least, it changes a set of tasks that used to zap energy to one that energizes.

Second, it brings my teacher’s heart to the fore, a heart that has much more patience and compassion than that of someone who is annoyed and sickened by phishing threats, spam, and bots set up by geniuses who think this type of automation is how to get to potential clients. 

Third, I am better able to trust the process instead of feeling frustrated by not knowing how a particular ad campaign is doing. Teaching has taught me that what I do today may not yield recognizable results right away, or ever. I am not worried. 

By applying this attitude to marketing, I remind myself that my job is to help the world, or at least my target audience, discover what Axon Martial Arts Academy is. I can be patient and  be assured that what message I send out doesn't have to do the job of selling all by themselves, but would connect with others to create a picture that tells the right story.

Granted, this process is different in that there is no immediate feedback and therefore not always possible to determine how well messages have come through. But this is not an insurmountable problem. It requires my teacher-brain to tackle it the same way it has tackled other problems over the last 30 years.

Earning Trust

When a student starts with a new teacher, there is a level of implicit trust in that decision. 

Trust, however, is not a static thing. If the teacher doesn’t live up to this trust by their actions, such as 

• showing disinterest, 

• using disrespectful language and actions, 

• being inconsistent, 

• hiding ignorance behind jargon,

• being unwilling to be questioned, 

• resorting to defensiveness 

• refusing to take any stance except one of authority, trust evaporates. Sometimes very quickly. 

Earning and keeping a student’s trust takes a long time of consistent actions based on integrity, humility, and transparency. Unfortunately, it can be lost with just one misstep. That trust of my students and their families is a most cherished treasure, one I will not jeopardize because without trust, learning cannot take place. 

How does this shift in perspective help in sales and marketing?

When it comes to the effectiveness of our marketing, metrics such as the number of impressions and amount of engagement can have a powerful effect on a business owner. 

But if they become the primary objective, there is a temptation, at least for me, to start adopting strategies, or even phrases, that have been “proven successful” in the industry.

Of course, I want my messages to be well received. The fact that these “proven to work” messages may or may not being authentic can be drowned out by such justifications as “it’s a means to an end” or “nobody takes it seriously anyway” or “ you need those keywords with long tails”.

I don’t believe I have compromised my integrity but I will say that constant weighing of decisions is one of the biggest energy- drain.  By using “earning trust” as my North Star, I am reclaiming the mental energy and well-being. 

Viewing sales and marketing as extensions of my core business of teaching instead of separate tasks that compete for my mental resources is giving me more enthusiasm and definitely much less grumpiness. 

Yat-Yee Chong brings her teacher-heart and -mind to teaching piano, percussion, pedagogy, Chinese calligraphy, or martial arts. Find out how learning martial arts in small groups taught by a  devoted and experienced teacher can make a big impact in your life. 

Connect with Yat-Yee
www.axontkd.com

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