The Marketing Mentor Podcast (Ilise Benun)

In the next in a series of episodes sponsored by Twenty20.com, Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Wendy Merrill of AreYouGrowingSmart.com about how to overcome fear of self promotion. Plus Wendy shares the LinkedIn content marketing strategy that gets her a stream of new clients. Start your own 5-photo trial account now at Twenty20.com/mmpodcast

Do you need a budget? In today’s episode, Ean Murphy of Moxie Bookkeeping and Coaching answers that question and more. She breaks down all the financial jargon so everyone --- especially creative professionals -- can understand their money and keep more of it. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Tiffany Estes of Whole Brain Creative (www.wholebraincreative.com) attended the HOW Interactive Design Conference for the 2nd time in 2012 and in part 1 of this podcast/interview with Ilise Benun, she recaps the highlights. Includes why she’s rethinking Wordpress, how she’s dealing with proposals for complex projects and how her mindset needs to change if she’s going to become a better interactive designer.

Ilise Benun of Marketing-mentor.com interviews Colleen Wainwright (a.k.a. the communicatrix) for the CFC Speaker Podcast Series on the latest trends in social media networking for creative pros. Come hear her in person at CFC 2013, June 22-24 in San Francisco for her session, Making People Love You Madly: Selling Yourself in the Postmodern Marketplace. Details: www.creativefreelancerconference.com

Join us for another conversation with writer and journalist, Bryn Mooth. This time, we talk about Bryn’s goals for growing her network in 2013 and reaching outside her current sphere. We focused on 2 questions: how to keep track of her best prospects (that doesn’t involve learning a new software) and how to pitch those new prospects with ideas tailored to them without doing spec work. Also, we talked a bit about the new 2013 Creative Professional’s Marketing Plan + eCalendar to Get Creative Work. Details at www.marketing-mentor-toolbox.com

Why trust your memory when you have LinkedIn, a.k.a. Your Rolodex? That’s where author, speaker and Ayurveda-based health and mindset coach, Sweta Vikram, turned out when it was time to promote her new book. And boy did she hit the jackpot, proving that the help you need is often just a few connections away.

If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Vivienne Scholl, from San Francisco-based Avenue 4 Design, commented recently on a Marketing Mix post about progress payments. She said:

We've started doing monthly billing with our clients. Billing is now tied to a date, not a milestone. It's so much better for cash flow. Anyone else doing this?

Since getting paid is always an issue, I asked Vivienne if she would share her process. Here’s what she told me in this interview/podcast:

• Why she started doing monthly billing
• How she brings it up with clients
• How it’s especially beneficial if a project drags on
• Why it keeps things “fair” with clients

And please comment on this billing practice. Vivienne wants to make sure this type of billing isn’t doing a disservice to the rest of the industry.

What do you think about monthly billing? Does monthly billing do a disservice to the industry?

If you’ve been meaning to start (or restart) your email newsletter, this episode is for you. Sarah Pike, of FreeFall Laser, a specialist in laser cutting for artists and designers, shared her process and the mindset that’s turned her email newsletter into one of her most effective marketing tools. If you like what you hear, read the case study about how Sarah learned to take more control over the growth of her business. And we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Are you overwhelmed by all the things you can do on LinkedIn? Not sure what the heck “Creator” mode is? In my chat with LinkedIn Trainer, Beth Granger, she answered all of my latest questions about new (and old) features on LinkedIn. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Hate networking? Then this episode is for you. I talked with Susan McPherson, author of “The Lost Art of Connecting,” about the difference between networking and connecting, plus how to approach this essential skill as an introvert. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Neil Brown of Brown Advertising (http://www.brownadvertising.com/) in Winston-Salem North Carolina recently faced a bit of a business crisis. His biggest client restructured and disappeared. One month later I called to see how things were going. To my delight (and a bit of surprise), Neil said, “Business has been really good.”

When I asked him what he was doing, he said one word: Networking.

That’s when I asked if he would share his story in a podcast interview and here it is.

The short version: When Neil started noticing the instability and personnel changes happening with his biggest client, he started to prepare by joining one of the Marketing Mentor Marketing Groups (next ones start next week!) and getting his marketing machine in gear.

Soon after, his suspicions came true and the client terminated their contract. Despite this, Neil says, “Because of the marketing, I haven’t really missed the client.”

In this interview on the Marketing Mentor Podcast, Neil shares what’s making up his marketing machine, and how it’s working.

One big component is local networking, to which Neil used to have an aversion. He says that since he’s a bit of an introvert, he always found it intimidating. But once he got involved, he now says, “I actually love networking” because it’s “simply talking with other likeminded business people.”

Listen in to find out which networking groups he’s involved in, who he’s meeting, and the response he’s getting from this—and his other—marketing efforts.

Has this ever happened to you? What have you done to prepare? Or what did you do when you were caught off guard?

In episode #9 of the popular series of meaty and chatty conversations between Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com and time lapse filmmaker, Michael e. Stern of BuildaBetterPhotograph.com, they both share strategies for how to intercept self defeating attitudes and behaviors so you can do the best possible job for your clients. If you like what you hear, sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor here.

Ilise Benun chats with Danny Iny, author of Teach and Grow Rich, & founder of mirasee.com (formerly Firepole Marketing) about how to grow a scalable business, who should (and shouldn’t) spend time building an online course and which courses do well (and which don’t). If you like what you hear, sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Here’s something new for 2019: I’m reading aloud work that I love and that is influencing my work. First up is an essay called “Work” from the poet-philosopher, David Whyte, and his book of essays CONSOLATIONS: The Solace, Nourishment and Underlying Meaning of Everyday Words. If you like what you hear, write a review, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

If you want to know the secret to a winning proposal, today’s episode is for you. It’s all part of my Proposal Oreo Strategy (from my Domestika course, Writing a Winning Proposal) and in today’s episode, web designer, Mary Maru, and content strategist and writer, Rebekah Mays, share how they use the proposal oreo to win those better clients. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Toronto-based designer, Sherri Gallowitz of G Strategic (gstrategic.ca), started sending out her email newsletter to her nonprofit sector clients in November 2012 and already has 2 decent contracts as a result. Listen to how she did it and do it for yourself!

Total tactics In today’s episode. I answer common questions from the SMP+ Outreach Club including “how do I know if a prospect is right for me?” and “how should I reach out to them if they are?” And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor

If you have too much work and not enough time, this episode is for you. I had the best conversation with Jenny Blake, author of “Free Time: Lose the Busyness, Love Your Business” about how each of us is freeing more and more of our time to do what we do best – and you can too. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this podcast, Marketing Mentor client, Tiffany Estes, of Whole Brain Creative, describes to Ilise Benun, her step by step process to choose and approach a select few of her existing clients about a retainer arrangement for more stability in her business and less anxiety in her life.

AI is changing our world and everyone has a different perspective on how. Today’s episode, featuring Deborah Brozina, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker who runs Making Change Productions, is the first in a new series of conversations with creative professionals who share their take on AI. If you are curious about how to use AI to find the best clients, join my free webinar on Wed. May 29 at 12-1 PM ET, Potential Clients on Tap with AI. Sign up here: https://bit.ly/ontap111

If you suspect you’ve been leaving money “on the table” when negotiating project fees, this episode is for you. In my latest conversation with Jennifer Barrett, author of “Think Like a Breadwinner” (who will also be speaking at HOW Design Live in Nashville, Oct. 19-21), we talked about how exactly to ask for more -- money, that is. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

Are you wasting time on your least profitable clients? How much time do you spend hunting for things? Should you be charging for travel time? These are some of the questions I tackled with Corina Ludwig, President of FunctionFox.com, an online time tracking and project management software for creative professionals – and a sponsor of my latest Simplest Marketing Planner. Check out their free 14 day trial at FunctionFox.com/mm. If you like what you hear, write a review, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

Who do you trust when you’re in business for yourself? How do you know whom to trust? Not to mention trusting the market – but how exactly? That was the main topic in my latest crossover episode with Jenny Blake, author of Free Time, host of the Free Time Podcast, and one of my favorite conversation partners. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Ilise Benun talks to Jim Blasingame about the upcoming, 6th annual Creative Freelancer Conference (June 22-24 in San Francisco), and shares examples of the business practices attendees will learn.

In preparation for the networking fest that is CFC 2013: The Business Conference for the Creatively Self Employed (www.creativefreelancerconference.com), networking expert, author and speaker Dana Manciagli shares with Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, 10 tips to network with a purpose to get what you need.

Does your pricing strategy need a profitability boost? Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to reveal how to replace your hourly rate pricing strategy for professional services with a value-based strategy that focuses on the results of your work.

In this week’s podcast interview, Marketing Mentor Ilise Benun chats with Alina Wheeler, author of “Designing Brand Identity” on the latest survival strategy for the soul: Reinvention. At this year’s CFBC/HOW Design Live (2014), Alina will be sharing the process she’s used to reinvent herself, as well as lots of examples of people to use as role models for reinvention."

Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame to report on how she kept working off-site, in the Cloud, when Hurricane Sandy kept her out of her office.

In this chat with Meg Casebolt, SEO strategist, podcaster and author of the new book, Social Slowdown, we identified how SEO should fit into your marketing strategy and much more. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

This week I was interviewed by Judy Rosenthal about raising rates and she had some ideas from the financial planning industry that could also apply to creative services.

Ilise Benun joins Jim Blasingame at Small Business Advocate to talk about why packaging your services has many advantages for you and your clients. For more, check out the Package Pricing Bundle.

In Part 2 of my conversation with early adopter and renowned copywriter, Nick Usborne, we focused on how to combine AI and EI (emotional intelligence) to build strong relationships with prospects and clients. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

As we get ready for the 5th Annual Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston, we’re doing a podcast interview series with our speakers! Last week we featured Dyana Valentine whose topic is “Pitch Perfect.” Today, we have Mark O’Brien, President of Newfangled, describing his upcoming session, “Is Your Website Generating Business?” 

Read an excerpt below and listen to the 10-minute interview here, in which Mark talks about content strategy—and how it’s missing from most of the freelancer website he sees. 

“There’s nothing to attract, inform and engage –nothing for Google to read on the site—that Google would then use to refer prospects to that freelancer’s site. There might be a portfolio, and that’s it. If prospects do get to the site, they can see the work, but they can’t read about the expertise behind the work… 

If your site is not independently attracting people who do not yet know about you,  but need you, and then guiding them through your site as if they’re taking a tour of your firm with you on the phone, and then bringing them into engagement with you through calls to action (signing up for newsletters, blogs)… If you’re site’s not doing that, it’s not going to generate any sort of business for you. It’s serving the group of people who already know about you, and doing nothing to expose you too all the new prospects who are out there looking for you…”

Listen to the rest here. 

And if you aren’t yet registered for CFC, sign up here and take advantage of the combo $100 discount: $50 early bird before Mar 30th + $50 Marketing Mentor discount with promo code “CMM12”

If you want to use content marketing to position yourself as an expert OR if you’re a copywriter who’s not quite ready to put yourself out there, this episode is for you. Donna Jones explains how the PR tool, HARO, can help in both situations. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In the third episode of Season 2 of the “Revolve Conference Speaker Podcast Series,” Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Business Coach and Brand Strategist, Thomas Heath, whose topic is Increase Engagement with Storytelling Videos, at The Revolve Conference, where design and creativity meet marketing and design. The big event will be held Oct. 26-27, 2017 in downtown Charleston SC. Details here: http://revolveconference.com and more Revolve speaker podcasts here.

In the first episode of Season 2 of the “Revolve Conference Speaker Podcast Series,” Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Katie Kern, VP of Media Frenzy Global who will be speaking on How PR is Being Reimagined at The Revolve Conference, where design and creativity meet marketing and design. The big event will be held Oct. 26-27, 2017 in downtown Charleston SC. Details here: http://revolveconference.com and more Revolve speaker podcasts here.

I’m kicking off 2019 with Ben Callahan, President of Sparkbox, whose web development firm has grown from 8 to 42 employees. Their winning bizdev strategy? Content marketing. In this episode, Ben shares details about the reality of an effective content marketing strategy and why it works. If you like what you hear, write a review, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

What are corporate in house design managers looking for in the freelancers they hire? Andy Epstein, author of The Corporate Creative, answers that question and many others in the latest podcast interview with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com. Find out where the growth is and which skills will set you apart. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

What is a designer who coaches? What kind of coaching can a designer offer? In today’s episode, Sandra Koenig of BrandingHarmony.com shares her experience as a Brand Coach, just one example of the types of coaching many creatives are pursuing as they transition from doing the work for their clients to becoming more of a strategic partner to their clients. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

This podcast collage is a sneak peek at the brand new Enhanced version of the Marketing Plan + eCalendar for 2015. You’ll hear clips from 3 interviews between Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com and creative professionals who are practicing what I preach and it’s working! They are targeting their markets and finding better clients! If you want a plan to follow, check out the 2015 Marketing Plan in the Marketing Mentor Shop.

Here’s the scene: it’s the end of the month and you aren’t even close to your goals. What to do? In today’s episode, I’m talking with writer and coach, Austin Church, who shared his 7-step freak out protocol and much, much more. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

If you struggle with the tricky client situations that come up as a self employed creative pro, this episode is for you. In Part 2 of our chat, Deidre Rienzo shared what she does (and doesn’t do) to attract the best clients and to make her days efficient and productive enough to spend the bulk of her time doing what she really wants to do. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Podcast: Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com interviews Luke Mysse for the CFC Speaker Podcast Series on The Arc of Success and how he overcame his own fears by expanding his vision and committing to helping others. Come hear him in person at CFC 2013, June 22-24 in San Francisco. Details here: www.creativefreelancerconference.com

In the 4th installment of the “Revolve Conference Speaker Podcast Series,” Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Aaron Irizarry, Director of User Experience at Nasdaq, about his topic, Hold Fast: Managing Design Teams When Projects Go Sideways, at The Revolve Conference, a gathering of design, business and marketing professionals to be held Oct. 27-28, 2016 in Charleston SC. See you there! Details here: http://revolveconference.com

Daniel Pelavin is entering his 5th decade as a typographic designer and illustrator. I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Graphic Artists Guild’s Reboot (http://newyork.gag.org/RRR_Conference/schedule.html) conference. He was pointed out as being “the king of self-promotion,” and of course, I had to find out more. 

If you love writing, writers and words, this episode is for you. I spoke with Jennie Nash, founder of Author Accelerator and author of the new book, Read Books All Day & Get Paid For It, about the opportunity to become a book coach and her upcoming free online Business of Book Coaching Summit. If you like what you hear, write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and, one more thing, be sure to sign up for my Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

The answer, according to Jake Jorgovan, web designer and intrepid freelancer, is an unqualified YES! In this interview with Ilise Benun, he shares how he kick started his business using oDesk + what and who online marketplaces are best for. For more like this, check out www.Jake-Jorgovan.com

Amy Graver’s design firm, Elements, positions themselves as a “virtual marketing department.” It’s a strong positioning for them—but the only challenge is, with such a potentially broad audience (Who doesn’t need a virtual marketing department?), where do you go to find those prospects? How do you efficiently locate those people? 

When it comes to Amy, I have a sense there is also something else involved in their success, so in our recent interview, I asked her:

“There is something in you, in the way you talk about what your firm can do, that I feel almost balances the need for a target market. I imagine you can sell anything to anyone… You can talk to anyone anywhere, and maybe as a result, you don’t have to say, ‘Alright, I’m doing healthcare… Alright, I’m doing financial services....’ What do you say to that?”

Amy responded: 

“I never saw myself as a salesperson, but my father used to say I could talk the paint off a barn … I feel very comfortable talking to anybody and finding something in common. I also think it’s my passion for what I do. I really believe in us, I believe in my team. I’ve made very careful hires … Every time we have a new hire, I want to know what they bring that’s unique, because I’m going to go out and talk to the clients about it. It adds to the depths of who we are as an agency… The creativity, passion and love of what we do comes across … We’re doing great things for our clients. We’re a thinking, strategic, creative agency. Our clients seem to agree. One of our best resources is all the referrals we get from our clients…”

I also asked Amy, “What suggestion do you have for someone who is resisting the idea of targeting a market and wants to apply their services to many different industries?”

For this answer, and more, listen to this 19-minute interview.

Want to choose your market, use content marketing to your advantage, or finally start email marketing? New groups are starting this month.

In this first podcast of 2014, Marketing Mentor, Illse Benun, interviews her client, marketing consultant and creative director, Jim Gorman of Gorman360. Their wide-ranging conversation covers everything from Jim's uber-confident and clear, 3-storey elevator pitch to an in-depth discussion of 3 of his winning proposals, with which he won 4 retainer clients in his target market: the aviation industry. (And you can see one of the proposals discussed in the new Designer's Proposal Bundle Volume 2).

Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun, chats with Doug Dolan, communications strategist, writer and creative director about a cast of bad clients from the coin counter and the buck passer to the web searcher and the game changer, in preparation for his CFBC/HOW Live session, Solving Your Biggest Creative Problem: The Client. Details and sign up for the event this May in Boston here: http://bit.ly/1eNEI0v 

Check out Ilise's latest interview with Jim Blasingame of Small Buiness Advocate. In this interview, she and Jim talk about why you should incorporate an online marketing strategy with your traditional marketing activity.

In my latest interview with Bryn Mooth, we talked about what she learned at CFC and how she is putting that learning into practice. She suggested a technique for taking potentially overwhelming information and putting it into action.

Listen here to hear exactly how Bryn does her one-chunk-at-a-time approach.

Started by Jen Lombardi, Kiwi Creative (a small design firm outside Cleveland, Ohio) is now a firm of 6 people - and this growth was intentional. This is what Jen discusses with Ilise Benun of Marketing Mentor, in this episode of the HOWLive/CFBC 2014 Speaker podcast series. Details and sign up for the event this May in Boston here: http://bit.ly/1eNEI0v 

In the latest podcast episode, Ilise Benun continues the conversation with marketing professor, Michael Solomon, who literally wrote the book on consumer behavior. Today’s topic is the most important currency being exchanged in today’s economy (it’s not money) and what designers and other creative pros can do about it. Hear more from Michael at the brand new HOW Marketing Live 2018 in Boston on April 30. Details at howdesignlive.com and more HOW Design Live podcasts here. And if you like what you hear, write a review and subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

In Episode 3 of the 2015 HOW Design Live Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun, Partner for HDL’s "Creative Business" program, interviews poet and creative coach, Mark McGuiness, on his topic, “How to Handle Rejection & Criticism as a Creative.” In this podcast, he explains why he believes creatives have trouble with criticism and what we can do about it. Find out more about Mark at http://lateralaction.com/. Details here www.howdesignlive.com.   

If you’re thinking of offering Facebook advertising as a service to your clients or wondering if Facebook's ads would be a good way to get clients, this episode is for you. In our chat, Lucas Lee-Tyson, a college student who runs GrowthCave.com, an agency that specializes in Facebook ads, shared how, how much and much more. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

This is the perfect time to be self employed and the perfect time to chat with someone who’s been a successfully self employed creative for even longer than my 32 years. Michael e. Stern has seen it all and persevered through many many ups and downs. Today we talked about how he knows which clients to give up on and which ones deserve perseverance. We’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

Is it cheating to hire someone to help you with writing or design if those are the services you offer? And should you tell your clients if you’re not doing “all the work?” If you want to grow your creative business, you’ll need to learn how to delegate -- not everything, but certain things. That’s what Melanie “the Marketer” Deardorff and I discussed in today’s episode. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

What role does integrity play in business? And how can you demonstrate yours to your clients? That’s the topic of today’s episode with veteran creative professional and photographer, Michael e. Stern. We’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

For my New Year message, I’m sharing the opening of a brand spanking new presentation I’m giving later this week on how I’ve been engineering the evolution of my business (instead of letting it happen by itself). So if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Pitching yourself as a guest on the podcasts that your ideal clients listen to is one of the advanced content marketing strategies many Marketing Mentor coaching clients are using. And it can be very effective – when you do it right. In today’s episode, I chatted with copywriter, Francis Nayan, who pitched himself for my podcast and it worked. Listen to find out why. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

We all know that preparation is important -- but most people don't take the time to do enough of it. And the consequences often sting, especially when you're working with corporations whose culture often involves (and demands) lots of preparation. In this podcast, Dana Maciagli (in preparation for her HOWLive/CFBC 2014 session, Behind the Corporate Curtain!) shares with Marketing Mentor, Ilise Benun the importance of preparation, lots of specifics on exactly how she prepares, and how this preparedness has fueled her success, both in the corporate world and now, as a freelancer!

At last year’s Creative Freelancer Conference, there was an attendee named Lauren Hybinette. She was employed by a company at the time, but she had an epiphany that made her decide, then and there, that she wanted to be self-employed.

Where is Lauren one year later? Find out. Read this blog post from Bryn Mooth on the HOW Design Blog:
http://blog.howdesign.com/how-conference/catching-up-with-a-creative-freelancer/listen to the interview I did with her where she talks about:

• learning the discipline to work from home
• fighting the loneliness of being a solopreneur  
• setting boundaries and staying connected

Do you need the inspiration and know-how to finally turn freelancing into a full time career?

Join us at CFC—June 23-24 in Chicago. Don’t miss the early bird discount. It ends April 1^st!

What’s the difference between getting clients via word of mouth and referrals? If you’re not sure, this episode is for you. In my chat with Michael Roderick, host of the Access to Anyone podcast, we define our terms and talk about what makes a brand or a business “referable.” See if yours is. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

This is the 2nd live interview from the HOWDesignLive@SCAD Lecture Series 2016 with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com and #HOWLive 2015 speaker, Jason Fried, Co-Founder of Basecamp and author of 3 books including, “Rework,” and “Remote.” Lots of inspiring ideas about how to use your creativity to build a business that lasts, plus a little rant on the importance of sleep. Watch the video version here and the rest of the series on SCAD’s virtual lecture hall. More inspiration at HOWDesignLive.com and SCAD.edu

Why would anyone want your content? And what’s the difference between your content marketing and your marketing content? Those are just a few of the questions I answered in my new solo Episode #464. So if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this podcast, Nathan Powell of Nusii Proposal Software interviews Ilise Benun, Marketing Mentor and creator of the Designer's Proposal Bundle series. They discuss the 4 types of proposals, what exactly should be in a winning proposal and what it really means when a proposal is about the client's project and not about you! Plus, much more, of course. The transcript of this interview is also included in the 30 Minutes a Day Marketing Plan for Creative Professionals.

I asked Mark O’Brien, CEO of Newfangled and author of one of my favorite books, A Website that Works, about how to use your website to filter out non-ideal clients.

Listen to this 8-minute interview for his suggestions.

This week’s podcast is perfect for introverts and other people who hate “networking." Listen now especially if you have an event coming up that you’re a little bit nervous about attending. You’ll learn the language to use to start a conversation, get someone’s business card and how to remember names, an essential and learnable skill. Also how to use the content you create as a networking tool. Download the PPT from this session (and more) at: GetTalk.at/networking. If you like what you hear, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.  And I hope to see you at HOW Design Live 2018 in Boston, April 30-May 3. Details here: http://howdesignlive.com/

If a lack of confidence is preventing you from getting your business off the ground, this episode is for you. In today’s conversation, Helen Conway, former judge turned wellness coach for lawyers, describes how working on her web site and putting her marketing tools in place gave her the confidence she lacked and propelled her new business forward. If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Today’s “bonus” episode is from a live interview with financial expert and podcaster, Farnoosh Torabi, host of the So Money Podcast, whose brand new book is out. Listen, then go buy A Healthy State of Panic: Follow Your Fears to Build Wealth, Crush Your Career, and Win at Life.

And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Who really has the power: you or your client? If you think they do, today’s episode is for you. I talked with executive coach and author, Melody Wilding, whose new book, Managing Up, is just out. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this interview with the Small Business Advocate, Jim Blasingame, Ilise Benun debates what exactly is a niche and how to go about choosing one. If you're struggling with your niche, download the free worksheet "Is Your Market Viable,"  excerpted from The Pick a Niche Kit, http://bit.ly/ViableMarket

And now for something a little different: Today’s episode is a short clip from the most recent Office Hours, a monthly live and very interactive gathering that has become the centerpiece of the Simplest Marketing Plan, the framework I teach (and sell in the marketing mentor shop). Join me and my guest, copywriter, Bob Bly, for a free live event to launch the new SMP for 2023 with a one-day deal and amazing bonuses. That’s live on Cyber Monday Nov 28 at Noon ET. Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/SMP2023

If you love your clients and are looking for a way to deepen your relationships with them, you’ll love my conversation with designer, Tara Hoover, about a very unique strategy she’s come up with and that she doesn’t even think of as marketing – but I do! And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this 11-minute interview, Luke Mysse previews his upcoming CFC session, Options for Growth.

Join us at the Creative Freelancer Conference, June 21-22 in Boston. Details here.

In this new episode in the “Where are they now?” series, I reminisced with multi-disciplinary artist, Ilena Finocchi, originally featured in 2001 in my first book, Self Promotion Online. She shares her most effective marketing tools and, more important, the attitude that’s allowed her to avoid the “starving artist” syndrome. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

If you are an empathetic person, this episode is for you. Melanie the Marketer shares her ideas about how empathy allows her to put herself into anyone’s shoes in any industry, especially her clients’ customers, which can also eliminate the need for a niche. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this episode, Ilise Benun learns about REACH, a new idea for a business model that provides design services to non profits on a budget and recurring revenue for GDLOFT, a small design firm in Philadelphia. If you like what you hear, write a review and subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

If you want to make more money, the easiest way is to charge more. But how exactly do you raise your rates? And what do you say to clients without jeopardizing the relationships? Those are a few of the questions I answered in a special bonus podcast, an excerpt from my latest ebook, “Worth It: How getting good at the money talk pays off.” If you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this special bonus episode with Jennifer Barrett, Head of Content for Fidelity, financial journalist and author of “Think Like a Breadwinner,” and Lisa Mullis, a veteran copywriter and designer, we laid the foundation for the Fireside Chat that Jenn and Lisa will have in real time at HOW Design live in Boston, on Monday May 23. They’ll share more secrets about how designers can earn more money, invest wisely and build lifelong wealth in Boston, May 22-24. Details at https://howdesignlive.com/

This week’s episode is the next in our LinkedIn Livestream series in our effort to change the way you think about networking. My guest is online networking expert and speaker, Beth Granger, who shared lots of great tips about who to network with – especially when you don’t know who “your people” are yet. If you like what you hear, join me for Jumpstart Your Networking, a free webinar on May 15th. You’ll hear all about it when you sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

If you need to be held accountable to achieve your business goals, this episode is for you. I chatted with Nancy Ruzow of Ruzow Graphics, a designer who also runs The Creatives Roundtable, an accountability group that is having a Black Friday Sale. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

If your emotions are a bit out of control, this episode is for you. By popular demand, it’s Part 3 of my conversation with Kelly Campbell, Conscious Leadership Coach for agency owners and host of the Thrive podcast. We picked up the conversation about what I call “fake feelings.” I even gave an example of my own. So if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In the 3rd installment of the “Revolve Conference Speaker Podcast Series,” Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Robert Prioleau, Founding Partner and the Strategy Director for Blue Ion, a brand experience agency based in Charleston, SC. Robert will be speaking on how to sell when you hate selling at The Revolve Conference, a gathering of design, business and marketing professionals to be held Oct. 27-28, 2016 in Charleston SC. Details here: http://revolveconference.com

In Episode 4 of the #HOWLive 2015 Speaker Podcast Series, Ilise Benun, HDL Partner for the Creative Business program and founder of Marketing-Mentor.com, interviews Janine Vangool, Publisher, Editor and Designer, UPPERCASE magazine on her HDL 2015 topic, “What I Learned From Design Clients Led to My "Retirement"... And Launched A Whole New Career.” Find out more about Janine and UPPERCASE at http://uppercasemagazine.com.

In this episode, Ilise Benun, of Marketing-Mentor.com, talks with Katie Lane, lawyer, negotiation coach and blogger at Work Made For Hire, about how to overcome the particular challenges faced by creatives and by women when it comes to negotiating the best deal for yourself. If you like what you hear, subscribe on iTunes and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing

Ilise Benun chats with Jeff Sauer of Jeffalytics, the brains behind the JumpStart Podcast and former agency owner-turned-consultant specializing in making sense of analytics data, about how creatives can set themselves apart and achieve better results for clients by positioning themselves as “data-driven” creatives. Check out his podcast too (and his interview with Ilise) at https://www.jeffalytics.com/ilise-benun-podcast/

If your palms sweat when someone asks, “What do you charge?” this episode is for you. I talked again with writer and coach, Austin L. Church, who has some very interesting ideas about the limiting beliefs we hold about money and how it affects the pricing of your freelance services. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor. 

Do you have a vision for your business? Having a vision is one aspect of leadership and just one of the many aspects of leadership I talked about with Jennifer Barrett, author of Think Like a Breadwinner, financial journalist and Head of Content at Fidelity Investments. So if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor - https://bit.ly/mmpodqt

How do you know when to trust yourself and what are the right decisions for your business? That’s just one of many topics covered in Part 2 of my conversation with Kelly Campbell, Conscious Leadership Coach for agency owners and host of the Thrive podcast. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Against a backdrop of uncertainty, Jonathan Cleveland, founder of Cleveland Design and author of Designing for the Greater Good: The Best of Cause Marketing and Nonprofit Design, shares the key to his success, why he has no interest in retainer clients and how he’s handling slashed funding for non profits. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe here and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

In this short solo episode, I share a few thoughts inspired by a book I’m loving lately, Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. It’s both deep and practical at the same time, my favorite combination. Enjoy and I’ll be back with much more in the new year. And if you like what you hear, we’d love it if you write a review, subscribe on Apple Podcasts and sign up for Quick Tips from Marketing Mentor.

Here’s the third in a new series of “audio articles” written by Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com and read aloud by the author. There is more and more video being used by creatives to market their services, which makes sense. Because when it comes to showcasing your talent, seeing is often believing – and stills don’t always do the trick. Bring a little movie magic to your self-promotion strategy with these tips. Read the article and see the videos referenced here: http://www.howdesign.com/articles/film-school-create-self-promo-videos/"

In the latest podcast/interview in the Creative Freelancer Conference Speaker Series (the big event is right around the corner, June 22-24 in San Francisco), Ilise Benun speaks with Jezra Kaye, author of “Speak Like Yourself, No Really,” and together they dissect each word of her session title: “Promote and Present: How to Speak Persuasively to Current and Future Clients, In Person and Virtually” and in the process, answer 3 common questions about speaking in public. (Details about the event here: www.creativefreelancerconference.com)

As a right brainer in a left brain world, Michael e. Stern has learned a lot in his 36 years in business about how to price his creative services. In his 2nd podcast/interview with Ilise Benun of Marketing-Mentor.com he shares his 3 best pricing strategies, including what he calls the “J.B. factor” and many other pearls of wisdom. Want more? Sign up for Quick Tips here.