As we wrap up another year and get ready to step into the new year, I’ve been reflecting on what I would do if I were to start my business from scratch today. 

Having been an entrepreneur for nine years, I’ve seen the ups, downs, and dramatic changes in the industry. There are things that have completely shifted and things that honestly have remained the same.

Here are five approaches that I believe would accelerate your business growth and set you up for long-term success.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• Why PR should be your top priority and how building a network of collaborators can accelerate your brand growth.

• The secret to focusing on sales from day one and how long-form content like podcasts and YouTube can drive sustainable success.

• The essential mindset changes you need to take confident action and make your business thrive.

Every year, I share my marketing predictions for the year ahead.

I’ve been doing this since 2018, and this year I'm thrilled to share a bit of a twist.

I sat down with my friend Jodie Brown, to kick off a new series where you can essentially be a “fly on the wall,” listening in as Jodie and I take a deep dive into the world of marketing today. And, today’s episode is centered around predictions we’re making for 2025.

Join us in this new series, on the Authentic Brand Builders Podcast, called Marketing Mayhem. In today’s episode, we’ll talk about:

• The 5 marketing predictions we see being a top priority in 2025.

• The singular trend we see picking up even more momentum in 2025 - if you’re not already doing this NOW is the time.

• The truth about niching down in the online space today.

For the full content, and all the insider tips, listen to Episode 130 now.

As we gear up for a new year, it's time to start thinking about 2025. While I don’t feel completely ready for a new year, I can’t help but recognize that my brain is already thinking ahead.

So, I asked myself, “If we were to sit down for coffee, and you were ready to scale your business in the new year to the 6-figure mark, what would I want you to know?

If you are ready to scale your businesses to the six-figure mark, there is an overwhelming amount of information available online, but not all of it is super strategic. 

Today, I want to share five strategic actions that are essential for your growth without making you feel like you're drowning in planning details. 

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• A quick improvement you can make to your website that will result in qualified leads finding you on Google.

• Why video marketing is a must and how to embrace it as your most authentic self.

• How consumer minds have changed over the years and how you can make a single adjustment to ensure you’re not overlooked by your ideal customers.

In this episode of The Authentic Brand Builders Podcast, I sit down with Kwadwo, a skilled Meta ads expert, to explore what it truly takes to create successful, authentic Facebook and Instagram ad campaigns. 

Together, we take a deep dive into strategies to approach Facebook and Instagram ads with patience and authenticity, even in today’s landscape where people are more skeptical than ever about advertising. 

We talk about everything from optimizing ad funnels and the timing of your first ad to creating scalable campaigns that build real trust with your audience.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• How ads amplify your brand and when to get started with ad campaigns after your organic strategy has been proven.

• The importance of testing your ads, from ad copy to visuals, testing each element can help keep costs down while improving performance and targeting.

• How to focus on genuine, trust-building ads that don’t just sell but also engage and educate your audience during a time when audiences are more cautious.

In the online business and branding world, visibility is crucial. 

It’s not just about putting yourself out there online; it's about truly showing up as your authentic self, something I’ve found over the years can be incredibly difficult. 

As someone who has been creating and publicly sharing content over the past eight years, I still struggle with a fear of visibility, and today, I want to talk about a personal journey I’ve taken recently concerning visibility and how I navigate my relationship with social media as an entrepreneur and brand strategist.

I’m also giving you the three journal prompts that helped me uncover this fear and start taking action to move forward.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• My recent discovery around visibility and specifically what was holding me back from social media.

• The importance of asking yourself the hard questions to create an authentic and aligned brand online.

• Three journal prompts to get you started in discovering what is holding you back from getting your brand seen.

Get your free Brand Roadmap at brandmerry.com/brandroadmap

Perfectionism is a topic close to my heart and, as a recovering perfectionist myself, I know it's something many of you are navigating too. This two-part episode is inspired by a conversation with my dear friend Martina Fink—a specialist in self-care and helping perfectionists embrace change. 

Perfectionism can be a tricky hurdle for many entrepreneurs. I've been open about my battles with it, a struggle familiar to many of my clients. Martina emphasizes the importance of shifting focus from external validation to living from the inside out. This means detaching from others' expectations and instead doing what truly brings you joy and fulfillment.

Martina and I first connected at a mastermind event in 2017 and have since become the best of friends. I’m thrilled to share insights from our chat, focusing on showing up in the online space as a perfectionist, trusting oneself, and taking bold steps as entrepreneurs and women.

Inside this two-episode special of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• How to build a brand when you struggle with comparisonitis and the perfectionism trap on social media.

• One of the most powerful journal prompts from Martina, to help you discover your true passions.

• How to take action or make big changes when you’re worried about looking silly or failing publicly.

• The process of trusting yourself as a business owner and perfectionist.

In this episode of the Authentic Brand Builders Podcast, I'm chatting with Martina Fink on all things perfectionism and running a business. Together, we explore strategies to build a brand as a perfectionist.

You'll uncover how to navigate external expectations, trust your intuition, and balance masculine and feminine energies to enhance personal well-being and business performance. With insights from Martina's journey from Apple store manager to certified health coach, we talk all things self-trust, emotional health, creative inspiration, and practical journaling prompts to help identify true desires and brand identity.

Many people believe that consistency means showing up every single day without a break, but I don't see that as sustainable. In addition, content strategies must shift not only to the demands of the market but also to personal life demands as well.

Over the past eight years of being a business owner, my content strategy has shifted numerous times. I've learned to value intentional breaks, which allow me to recharge and continue delivering valuable content, as well as completely overhauling my strategy when it no longer serves me.

If you've noticed a theme in our recent Authentic Brand Builder Podcast episodes, you're not alone. We're all about sharing behind-the-scenes lessons and experiences directly from my journey. 

As you know, storytelling is a core part of my message, and today, I'm excited to dive into discussing my content strategy and how it’s changed throughout the years, and what drove those changes. 

I'm pulling back the curtain to share my evolving content strategy over the past eight years as a business owner.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• The evolution of my content strategy throughout my eight years as a business owner, from the birth of my son, traveling in an RV, and today.

• The unrealistic expectation of daily consistency when it comes to content creation and how I’ve shifted my strategy to meet both personal and business demands.

• The importance of adapting strategies to fit lifestyle changes to maintain effectiveness without burnout.

Personally, I think this is the perfect episode to watch or listen to because of the storytelling aspect.

I've been hosting live challenges for seven years, and with conversion rates averaging between 5% to 7%, and the average 1% to 3%, it's clear they are impactful. 

I’ve honed a process that consistently drives results with my live challenge, and with everyone talking about webinars, I want to offer a different perspective. 

Live challenges allow you to give massive value to your community during a designated time frame, but give you the space to go deeper, something a 60-90 minute webinar can not. 

Plus, in a short time, your audience can follow your challenge and instantly see results, which builds connection and trust quickly.

It's an amazing strategy and tool to not only grow your community, but also nurture and develop your community so they are ready to invest in your offer.

So whether you're launching a new program, live launching an existing one, or wanting to fill your 1:1 program, a well-executed challenge can be a game-changer. 

Today, I am excited to share with you not only why these challenges work so well but also walk you through the step-by-step process for setting up your online challenge.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• The exact process you need to get your online challenge ready and deliver insane value to your audience.

• My top tips for structuring your videos for higher conversions, and how to increase show-up rates.

• A little insider secret I use to support my challenge participants in feeling great about joining my offer.

If you think that you have to have a big team to run a successful online business, I’m glad you’ve found this post.

I used to think the exact same thing, but my experience has taught me otherwise. 

When I first started my business, like so many of you, I was a solopreneur. I didn't have the extra money to pay someone when I was trying to simply pay myself. 

So, I dedicated most of my time to the business, creatively thinking about it and providing for my family. This approach worked well for a while.

As I started taking on more marketing responsibilities, I began considering hiring a team. 

Industry advice pointed me towards hiring for admin work: scheduling clients, sending contracts, etc. 

These tasks never quite justified the need for hiring someone in my mind. I instead thought about the areas where hiring help would directly contribute to generating revenue.

My first hire was a Virtual Assistant (VA) for contracted work, specifically for marketing-related tasks. 

I remember feeling nervous about the financial commitment, but it quickly paid off. 

This small hire allowed me to reclaim valuable time, which I used to focus on revenue-generating activities like hosting live events and webinars.

From there, I began to think hiring a big team was needed - boy was I wrong.

Inside today’s episode of the Authentic Brand Builders podcast, we’ll dive into:

• One of my most expensive lessons with hiring a team and what it taught me.

• The first few steps to take and things to consider when hiring team members.

• The type of first hire I recommend every solopreneur consider for the highest ROI.

For the full content, and all the insider tips, listen to Episode 122 now.