Be A Marketer with Dave Charest

What happens when you stop theorizing and fully commit? Mark Soanes turned a love for the outdoors into a leadership training company and has used email marketing to fuel growth for nearly two decades with Call of the Wild, a leadership and team development company in South Wales, UK, operating for 26+ years and known for its “green classroom” outdoor approach 

Mark’s team uses the “green classroom” approach, which takes learning outside so people actually apply what they learn. That hands-on style has helped thousands of professionals communicate better, collaborate more, and see measurable ROI. 

We also dig into how he blends segmentation, metrics, and a touch of AI to keep relationships warm and content consistent, plus the simple “cash on the table” test he still uses to decide which marketing bets are worth it. 

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Using the Contact Management Dashboard
• Understanding contact segmentation
• Send birthday wishes using the Automation Path Builder
• Overview: Email reporting
• How Constant Contact is innovating with AI and what that means for you

Meet Today’s Guest: Mark Soanes of Call of the Wild

👤 What he does: Director at Call of the Wild, a leadership and team development company in South Wales, UK, known for experiential learning in the outdoors. 

💡 Key quote: “No point doing it if you’re not tracking the results, because that’s the key. That’s why you’re doing it.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Call of the Wild: Website | LinkedIn | X | Facebook

Your personality might just be your most powerful marketing tool.

Christine Gritmon, personal brand strategist and host of Let’s Talk About Brand, helps entrepreneurs build confidence in showing up as themselves, and turning that into their biggest business advantage.

In this episode, Christine shares why your quirks are your magic, how to build trust faster by being yourself, and why email is still your strongest owned asset. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to elevate your personal brand, her insights will help you show up more confidently and connect more authentically.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Save your brand colors, logo, and images in your account (BrandKit)
• How to schedule and send an email
• Create more personalized emails to improve engagement
• Build your brand with a custom designed template

Meet Today’s Guest: Christine Gritmon of Let’s Talk About Brand Podcast

👤 What she does: Christine Gritmon is a personal brand strategist, international speaker, and host of Let’s Talk About Brand. She’s worked with business owners and marketers worldwide, helping them use personal branding, storytelling, and content to grow their businesses with confidence.

💡 Key quote: “People connect with people, not job titles. Stop hiding the things that make you memorable.”

👋 Where to find her: Website | Podcast | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

What happens when you stop chasing likes and start building real connections?

Cindy Clearwater, also known as Cindy Leigh, turned her passion for island life into a thriving multi-channel business by focusing on what really works: email, authentic content, and showing up as herself.

In this episode, Cindy shares how she built My St. Croix VI into a trusted travel guide, why 95% of her product sales come from her email list, and how she uses one business as a testing ground for all the others.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels on social media, this conversation will remind you that consistency, personality, and email marketing are the real game-changers.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Grow your contact list with sign-up forms
• Use an email to grow your contact list
• Enable Text to Join to grow your list
• Using the audience growth center
• Automatically generate a marketing campaign based on your goals (Campaign Builder)

Meet Today’s Guest: Cindy Clearwater of Cindy Leigh Media and My St. Croix.VI

👤 What she does: Cindy Clearwater is the creative director and content strategist for Cindy Leigh Media. She runs Mystcroix.vi, a popular island travel guide based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is the founder of IDM Strategy Lab. Cindy is also preparing to launch Explorinista, a platform for Gen X women who love to travel smart.

💡 Key quote: “People want connection. When I started sharing my own stories, my email list became my strongest marketing tool.”

👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

👋 Where to find My St. Croix.VI: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

Small businesses thrive when they focus on what they do best, and today's guest believes marketing should never get in their way.

Frank Vella, CEO of Constant Contact, understands firsthand the complexities small business owners face every day. Having started his journey by helping a friend run marketing campaigns through Constant Contact, he now leads the company with a deep appreciation for the challenges entrepreneurs navigate.

In this episode, Frank shares why staying obsessively close to your customers is crucial, how technology can simplify marketing complexity, and why Constant Contact remains passionately committed to small businesses. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by marketing, Frank’s insights will show you how to leverage tools and relationships to create lasting success.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Campaign Builder: Automatically generate a marketing campaign based on your goals
• Getting started with Constant Contact

Meet Today’s Guest: Frank Vella of Constant Contact

👤 What he does: Frank Vella is the CEO of Constant Contact. With a rich background from companies like Microsoft, Xerox, and General Electric, Frank now leads Constant Contact, ensuring the company remains a dedicated partner in the growth and success of small businesses.

💡 Key quote: "Small businesses are going to be successful when they focus on what they do best. And our job is to make sure that we take as little time away from what they do best."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

When you think about successful tech companies, you might picture Silicon Valley giants or venture-backed unicorns. But what about an email marketing platform that's thrived for three decades?

Gail Goodman, the former CEO of Constant Contact, helped build a company that defied the odds in an industry where many thought their business model wouldn't work. By focusing on customer needs and creating a strong company culture, she turned this skepticism into a 30-year success story.

"What I kept from all of it was to stay close to your customer," Gail emphatizes. "Understand the problem you're solving for your customer and stay focused on what they need to successfully use your product."

In this episode, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reconnects with Gail to explore how to build something that truly lasts. They discuss the power of repeat business, why resilience matters when hitting plateaus, and how staying obsessively close to your customers drives sustainable growth, even when others say it can't be done.

Listen to discover practical ways to build stronger customer relationships and create a business that stands the test of time.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Constant Contact On-Demand Library
• Getting Started with Constant Contact webinars

Meet Today’s Guest: Gail Goodman of Entrepreneurship for All

👤 What she does: Gail is the former CEO of Constant Contact and current mentor, board member, and chair of Entrepreneurship for All, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underrepresented entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She led Constant Contact for over 16 years, taking the company from startup to successful industry leader in small business marketing.

💡 Key quote: "The biggest advice is always stay close to your customer and notice how they are, how whatever they do that is related to you is changing and then try to get ahead of it."

👋 Where to find her: Website |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter 

👋 Where to find Entrepreneurship for All: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok

What can entrepreneurs learn from someone who built global brands in both medical tech and music?

Dr. Knowles, founder of Music World Entertainment and former sales exec at Xerox and Johnson & Johnson, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share how he applied the same marketing fundamentals, audience insight, branding, and process, to launch Destiny’s Child, grow a multi-million-dollar hair salon business, and teach entrepreneurship around the world.

In this episode, you’ll hear how he made the leap from corporate sales to the entertainment industry, why “practicing failure” was core to his management style, and what every small business can gain from learning the psychology behind entrepreneurship.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources:

• Book Dr. Mathew Knowles to speak at MathewKnowles.com
• Use the Content Generator to write email, landing page, social, and SMS content for you
• Getting started with the Automation Path Builder

Meet Today’s Guest: Mathew Knowles of Music World Entertainment

👤 What he does: Dr. Knowles is an award-winning music executive, entrepreneur, author, professor, and cancer survivor. He’s best known for managing Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé’s early solo career, but his journey began in corporate America with a 20-year run at Xerox, Philips Medical Systems, and Johnson & Johnson.

He later launched Music World Entertainment in Houston, Texas, and grew it into one of the world’s leading music and entertainment companies, landing major brand deals, developing new talent, and expanding into fashion, haircare, and education. Dr. Knowles now travels the world teaching the next generation of business leaders through speaking and mentorship.

💡 Key quote: “If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anybody else to believe in you?”

👋 Where to find him: Website |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Instagram

👋 Where to find Music World Entertainment: LinkedIn | Instagram 

At 18, Jayson Alexander wasn't racing go-karts or growing up in a motorsports family. He was in his bedroom, learning to drive through video games. Today, he's a NASCAR driver and founder of Jayson Alexander Racing—running a full-fledged brand while juggling college, lacrosse, and military service.

In this episode of Be A Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks with Jayson and his teammate, Shane DiMantova, who leads PR and social media for the team. Together, they've built a loyal fan base by treating their racing operation like a business, from segmenting email lists to planning content calendars around class schedules.

"Even when we're not at the track, we still try to build it up as much as possible," Jayson says. "I see a lot of drivers that, if they're at the track, great, they're posting. If they're not, they're just gone. We want to make you think we’re racing every weekend—even if we're off for a month." Shane adds, "Without Constant Contact, we'd be chickens with our heads cut off.”

They share how they use automation, segmentation, and SMS to grow fan engagement, boost merch sales, and pitch sponsors—even on off weeks. Their approach proves that with the right tools and a plan, small teams can move fast and grow big.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Additional Resources

• Understanding contact segmentation
• Create a segment of contacts by choosing specific criteria
• Using contact lists, tags, and segments based on your list size
• Customer Spotlight: Jayson Alexander Racing Stays in the Fast Lane with Constant Contact

Meet Today's Guests: Jayson Alexander and Shane DiMantova from Jayson Alexander Racing

Jayson Alexander

👤 What he does: Jayson Alexander is a NASCAR driver, entrepreneur, and full-time college student. He's the founder of Jayson Alexander Racing and co-founder of Premier Performance Group, where he helps fellow drivers land sponsorships and navigate professional racing careers, all while serving in the military and playing collegiate lacrosse.

💡 Key quote:  "There's so much more than just showing up and driving. We have everything. We have the social media side, we have the sponsorship side, we have the marketing side."

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

Shane DiMantova

👤 What he does: Shane DiMantova is a sports management student, freelance designer, and Director of PR and Social Media at Jayson Alexander Racing. He helps run the team's day-to-day marketing, from email campaigns to giveaways, bringing fan engagement and brand identity to the forefront of their growing NASCAR presence.

💡 Key quote: "Without Constant Contact, we'd be a bunch of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off, for sure. We'd be all over the place, not knowing what to do, trying to build up our brand."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Instagram

Does your business feel like it’s constantly doing all the things but not seeing the results you want?

Emma Easton, founder and “chief bolloxologist” of Business Bollox, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to talk about the trap of overcomplicating marketing and why simplicity and clarity are the real secret weapons for small businesses.

In this episode, Emma and Dave dig into the pressure business owners feel to show up everywhere and post constantly, and how that noise can actually get in the way of meaningful connection. You’ll hear why marketing needs to start with your business model, how to reframe what “strategy” really means, and how to get your time and focus back.

Whether you're new to marketing or feeling stretched thin, this episode is a refreshing reminder that doing less but doing it with intention can actually lead to more.

Additional Resources:

• Optimize the subject line of an email
• A/B test an email subject line

Meet Today’s Guest: Emma Easton

👤 What she does: Emma Easton is the founder and “chief bolloxologist” of Business Bollox, a marketing strategy company based in the UK. With a background in corporate PR and small business branding, Emma now helps entrepreneurs cut through the noise and grow their businesses with clarity and confidence.

💡 Key quote: “You don't need to be doing everything. You just need to be doing the right things.”

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn 

👋 Where to find Business Bollox: Website | LinkedIn 

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

David Derryck, founder and CEO of BuyBlack.org, came across a powerful quote: "People always talk about what would they have done during the time of slavery or during civil rights era. And the answer is, whatever you're doing right now."

That moment sparked what would become BuyBlack.org, a platform that has grown from 10,000 to over 50,000 listings of Black-owned businesses across the country. What started as David's passion project in 2022 is now a comprehensive ecosystem helping consumers discover and support Black-owned businesses while providing those businesses with marketing tools and resources.

"Our mission just as an organization is to drive traffic and revenue to black owned businesses," he explains in this episode of Be a Marketer.

What marketing strategies are working for BuyBlack.org? In this episode, David and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explore how the platform uses email automation, digital advertising co-ops, and community engagement both online and offline.

Tune in to hear how David built partnerships with organizations like Constant Contact, why certification matters for Black-owned businesses, and how a parade float became one of his most meaningful marketing moments.

Additional Resources:

• Create and manage an automated Welcome Email
• Understanding contact segmentation
• Using click segmentation in an email

Meet Today’s Guest: David Derryck of BuyBlack

☕ What he does: David Derryck is the founder and CEO of BuyBlack.org, a mission-driven platform based in Oakland, California that helps consumers find and support Black-owned businesses across the country. What started as a passion project during the pandemic has grown into an ecosystem with over 50,000 listings and counting. 

💡 Key quote: “I think there's a clear recognition in this country that we've been on. Like wealth inequality exists, revenue inequality exists, and I think there's a clear recognition that people want to fix that.”

👋 Where to find David: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Buy Black: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Andrea Marquez didn't set out to "just" launch a podcast. She built a fully branded experience, with research, structure, and intention behind every episode.

As the host and Senior Producer of This Is Small Business, Amazon's podcast for entrepreneurs, Andrea treats the show like a product. That means creating branding guidelines, defining listener personas, building workflows, and committing to quality long before the first mic check.

"We make sure to stay true to both of these," Andrea explains. "We're thinking about what our listener will take away from the story we're telling, while staying authentic to the person or business featured in the episode—our guest." That dual focus shapes every decision, from production to promotion.

In this episode, Andrea joins Be A Marketer host Dave Charest to talk about why strong creative work starts with strategy. She shares how frameworks like "the five whys" and "test, fail, learn fast" help founders focus, why social media might not be the best marketing channel for a podcast, and how showing up consistently builds trust and community.

Additional Resources

• A/B test an email subject line
• Using the audience growth center
• Grow your contact list with sign-up forms
• Enable Text to Join to grow your list
• Use an email to grow your contact list

Meet Today's Guest: Andrea Marquez from This is Small Business 

👤 What she does: Andrea Marquez is the Senior Producer and Host of This Is Small Business, Amazon's award-winning podcast for entrepreneurs. A first-generation Latina with a background in advertising, she built the show from the ground up to spotlight real-world business stories and provide practical guidance for small business owners.

💡 Key quote: "Everything starts from understanding who you're telling the story to and why they want to hear it, all the way to every single day of recording, guest chasing, scheduling, etc."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram | TikTok | 

👋 Where to find This Is Small Business: Spotify |  Apple Podcasts | Amazon

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.