Be A Marketer with Dave Charest

Running a successful marketing campaign doesn't require a massive team or unlimited resources. Sometimes, it just takes a small, dedicated group that knows how to connect with people on a personal level.

That's exactly what Marc Newberry and Jasmin Bollman have accomplished at Genumark, Canada's leader in custom-branded merchandise and apparel. With a marketing team of just four people, they've mastered the art of personalized communication while expanding into the US market.

"Having those emails coming from the account managers rather than the info@Genumark email is definitely the best half an hour I spend in my marketing week or month," Marc explains, highlighting a simple yet effective strategy that dramatically improves their engagement rates. By personalizing each email to come from the client's specific account manager, they achieve better open rates and direct client-representative communication.

On this episode of Be a Marketer, Marc and Jasmin join host Dave Charest to reveal how their small marketing team achieves big results through authentic communication. They discuss their recent rebranding process, how they maintain a consistent brand voice, and why personalization is crucial for cutting through inbox clutter.

Tune in to discover their 30-minute email marketing hack, how they organize their marketing calendar around a monthly newsletter, and practical tips for humanizing your business communications to build stronger customer relationships.

Additional Resources:

• Create a New Email Contact
• Understanding Contact Segmentation
• Create a Sign-up Landing Page
• Create More Personalized Emails

Meet Today’s Guests: Marc Newberry and Jasmin Bollman of Genumark 

Marc Newberry

🎨 Who he is: Marc is the Creative Director at Genumark, Canada's leader in custom-branded merchandise and apparel. He's been with this family-owned business for 14 years, starting as an account manager before moving into creative roles. Marc helps lead their small four-person marketing team, creating content for their expansion into the US market and supporting their certified B Corporation status.

💡 Key quote: "It's definitely consistency in timing, content and visuals is definitely key to kind of making the email marketing work as well as it can. I think that's something that we've got better at recently and it's definitely the biggest piece of advice I would give to others."

👋 Where to find Marc: LinkedIn

Jasmin Bollman

🎨 Who she is: Jasmin is the Marketing Manager at Genumark. She joined the company as a freelancer after working in the tech industry and running her marketing consultancy. Attracted by Genumark's creative environment, she transitioned to a full-time role about a year ago. Jasmin handles all the written content for the company, from email campaigns to social media copy.

💡 Key quote: "I've always been a big proponent of — the way you talk online should be the way that you talk to somebody face to face, just like you're speaking with a friend. Because authenticity is what's going to make people connect with you."

👋 Where to find Jasmin: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Genumark: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

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In this final episode of Be A Marketer - Real Estate edition, hosts Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, and co-host Kelsi Carter, recap key lessons from their six-episode deep dive into marketing strategies for real estate professionals. But these insights aren’t just for real estate, business owners across industries can apply these takeaways to their own marketing efforts.

From the power of education-based marketing to leveraging AI and automation, Dave, Stephanie, and Kelsi reflect on the most impactful advice shared by expert guests, including Marki Lemons Rhyal, Christine George, Verl Workman, Ian Hoover, and Anthony Lamacchia.

They discuss:

✔️ Why giving away knowledge builds trust and authority

✔️ The importance of owning your niche and branding with intention

✔️ How to delegate effectively to scale your business

✔️ The role of culture in team-building and retention

✔️ Why embracing AI and automation is crucial for modern marketing

Whether you're in real estate or another industry, this episode provides actionable marketing strategies to help you grow your business with confidence.

Additional Resources:

• AI-Powered Marketing Tools for Small Businesses
• How to Build an Effective Email List
• Content Marketing Strategies That Drive Engagement

Meet Today's Hosts: Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact

🎤 What Dave does: Dave is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, He helps small business owners understand and utilize online marketing. Dave co-hosts the Be A Marketer podcast, offering practical advice and inspirational stories.

💡 Key quote: “Not everything you do is going to work. Not everything you do is going to be ‘the right thing to do’. And I think that's the mentality that you really need to come at this with — marketing as a whole is a learning experience.”

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Pinterest

🚀 What Stephanie does: She is the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact.

💡 Key quote: “People do business with people they like, they know, and they trust. So we need to be intentional about getting people to like, know, and trust us."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

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

🎤 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and co-host of the Be A Marketer podcast. She loves being deeply involved with projects, especially working with different types of creatives.

💡 Key quote: "It's really the trial and error, but also just looking at your data and then improving and enhancing so that it matches."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

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

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

Running a business that lets customers choose what they pay might sound like a recipe for failure. But for Carissa Reiniger, Founder and CEO of Silver Lining, it's part of a 20-year mission to change the global economy one small business at a time.

Using her background in psychology, Carissa used behavioral change to build a company that helps small businesses set and hit financial goals. Her SLAP (Silver Lining Action Plan) platform serves tens of thousands of businesses in 77 countries, focusing on giving entrepreneurs the structure and support they need to succeed.

"I would estimate that on average, when small businesses come to SLAP, they are wasting — and I’m using that word very intentionally — about 80% of their time and 80% of their money. They are misusing it," Carissa reveals during her conversation on the Be a Marketer podcast. "  I don't mean they're cheating, I mean that they're spending it on things that are not helping them grow their business."

What has worked for Silver Lining so far? On this episode, Carissa and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explore the challenges of the "Cash Flow Capacity Catch 22" and how business owners can break free from it.

Tune in to discover why focusing exclusively on the highest-priority activities matters and how building a business on your terms leads to both financial success and meaningful impact.

Additional Resources:

• Tips for Building a Solid Content Marketing Strategy
• Email Marketing Conversion Rate: Enhance Your Campaigns for Better ROI
• Using The Customer Journey Map to Personalize Email Marketing
• Personalize and Connect: Customer Relationship Marketing

Meet Today's Guest: Carissa Reiniger of Silver Lining

👩‍💼 Who she is: Carissa Reiniger is the founder and CEO of Silver Lining, a company she started in 2005 with a mission to change the global economy, one small business at a time. With a background in psychology, she created a SaaS platform based on behavior change science that helps small businesses set and hit financial goals. Her company offers a "pay what you can" model and has worked with thousands of businesses in 77 countries.

💡 Key quote: "I think people are looking for these magical, mystical answers. And the reality is it's very specific to each small business and their ideal client."

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

👋 Where to find Silver Lining: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

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Anthony Lamacchia learned the power of aggressive marketing at a young age while working with his father in construction. One postcard would bring in dozens of calls and thousands in deposits.

When he entered real estate in 2004, he brought that bold marketing mindset but quickly discovered that different businesses require different approaches. Through trial and error, Anthony found unique selling propositions that helped him build Lamacchia Realty into a powerhouse brokerage across New England and South Florida.

"When you educate, you attract," Anthony says on this episode of Be A Marketer. This philosophy has helped him build an audience of nearly 100,000 realtors across the country and establish himself as a thought leader in the industry.

In this conversation with hosts Dave Charest and Stephanie Alfonso, Anthony shares his marketing journey and the principles that drive his success. Learn how to identify marketing "veins" worth pursuing, why consistency builds top-of-mind awareness, and when to pivot your strategy when a vein dries up.

Tune in to discover why education-based content works so well, how to segment your audience effectively, and why boldness in marketing separates successful businesses from the competition.

Additional Resources:

• Create Targeted Segments of Your Email List
• Email Sign-Up Tools to Help You Grow Your List and Your Business
• Grab Attention with These Subject Line Best Practices

Meet Today’s Guest: Anthony Lamacchia of Lamacchia Realty

🏠 What he does: Anthony Lamacchia is the founder of Lamacchia Realty, a real estate brokerage that helps buyers and sellers across New England and South Florida. He also owns Crush It in Real Estate, a training company for real estate professionals in North America. Last year, his company sold 4,764 homes, 882 rentals, and 182 vacation rentals.

💡 Key quote: "Be bold. You got to be bold, and you have to do it consistently [...] It's a constant effort to educate, and it's a mix. When you educate, you attract, but when you mix the education with offerings, that's how you make things happen."

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

👋 Where to find  Lamacchia Realty: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

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

Tattooed, pierced, a school dropout who'd worked minimum wage jobs her entire life, Lea Turner initially thought LinkedIn wasn't "for people like her."

In 2019, she was a single parent running a small transcription service, struggling to make ends meet and relying on government support. The corporate, polished world of professional networking seemed light-years away from her reality.

But everything changed when Lea decided to do something radical: be entirely, unapologetically herself.

"I kind of had a screw it moment. I'm just gonna be myself because this is not fun. Pretending to be corporate, pretending to be some professional businesswoman that's like everybody else, is never gonna work for me because that's not who I am," Lea explains.

What unfolded is a remarkable story of transformation that defies every traditional career narrative. By embracing her uniqueness—her humor, candid storytelling, and real-life experiences as a single mom—Lea turned LinkedIn from an intimidating platform into her greatest business asset. Her follower count exploded from 400 to 10,000 in just a few months. More importantly, she gained over 100 inbound clients for her transcription business, proving that authenticity is the most powerful marketing tool.

On this episode of Be A Marketer, join Lea and host Dave Charest for this masterclass on personal branding, marketing strategy, and the power of embracing your true self as Lea shares how this journey led to the creation of The HoLT, her membership community designed for small business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs.

Additional Resources:

• Email Marketing Tips You Need To Know
• LinkedIn 101
• How to Get Started on a LinkedIn Marketing Strategy
• Build an Effective Email List: Strategies, Tactics, and Best Practice

Meet Today's Guest: Lea Turner of The HoLT

☕ What she does: Lea is the founder of The House of LT (The HoLT), a membership community for small business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs. She's a single mother, podcast host, and former LinkedIn trainer who transformed her business through strategic marketing.

💡 Key quote: "I still cringe sometimes before I start posting something or second-guess myself because I know loads of people are going to see it. But I also know that by doing it, I'm changing the life for my son and creating a better existence for both of us. So I'm more scared of dying or lying on my deathbed and going, 'Oh, if only I'd done that,' than I am of putting myself out there and giving it a go."

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

👋 Where to find The HoLT: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

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

When Ian S. Hoover got fired from his job in retail, he wasn’t expecting it to lead to him opening a real estate brokerage one day. After a few drinks at his former partner's daughter's wedding, a casual conversation sparked the launch of Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors in 2017.

Today, his brokerage stands as the second-largest independent firm in Western Pennsylvania, and he's authored a book called "Short-Term Memory Loss" about his journey. But success didn't come from chasing top producers. Instead, Ian built a culture focused on developing new talent into high performers.

"I can lead a horse to water, can't force them to drink it. I can show you how to sell real estate, but if you can't hold a conversation, you might have some problems. You got to build those relationships and that rapport," Ian explains. 

On this episode of Be A Marketer (Real Estate Edition), host Dave Charest and real estate expert Stephanie Alfonso talk to Ian about his approach to brokerage growth. Learn how he leverages AI and automation for business efficiency, builds strong agent relationships, and maintains a "short-term memory loss" mindset that turns setbacks into opportunities.

Additional Resources:

• Email Marketing Guide for Real Estate Agents
• Real Estate Brokerage Marketing: The Broker’s Manual
• The Ultimate Guide on How to Recruit Real Estate Agents
• How to Put Together a Real Estate Marketing Plan

Meet Today's Guest: Ian Hoover of Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors

🏠 Who he is: Ian S. Hoover turned getting fired from retail into founding one of Western Pennsylvania's largest independent brokerages. Since launching Deacon Hoover Real Estate Advisors in 2017 (after a tipsy wedding conversation), he's built a team of 60 agents who feel more like family than colleagues. His recent book "Short-Term Memory Loss" shares his unique approach to sales success.

💡 Key quote: "If you get anything from my book, I hope it's that you can legit use your sales ability — and we all have a sales ability, whether you know it or not — to get further down the road. If you want that promotion, if you want that job, be the squeaky wheel. Make sure you're there, and you're showing whoever you got to show how important you are, and eventually, it'll work out for you."

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

👋 Where to find Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors:  Website | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter | Instagram | YouTube 

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

Nonprofits face a constant challenge: delivering their message effectively with limited resources. For Nick Fynn, Head of Global Growth Marketing at TechSoup, this reality drives his mission to help organizations bridge the gap between technology and social impact.

Nick has a deep understanding of effective communication strategies through his work at TechSoup, a global nonprofit that connects other nonprofits with essential technology resources. "You cannot not communicate," Nick explains. Everything you do is communicating to your audience, and this includes when you are not saying something to them."

During this episode of Be A Marketer, Nick and host Dave Charest explore the fundamentals of nonprofit messaging and how organizations can maintain consistent communication despite limited resources. They discuss why email remains a powerful tool for nonprofit outreach, how to speak the language of different audiences, and ways to develop intentional communication strategies that resonate.

Listen in as Nick shares practical advice for nonprofits looking to strengthen their messaging approach. He also reveals how TechSoup's tiered membership model helps organizations make smarter technology decisions while building a collaborative nonprofit community.

 Additional Resources:

• Constant Contact for Nonprofits Offer Details
• The Key to Effective Email Segmentation for Nonprofit
• The Complete Guide to Nonprofit Email Marketing
• Charity Marketing Strategies: Boost Your Nonprofit's Impact

Meet Today's Guest: Nick Fynn of TechSoup

🎯 What he does: Nick Fynn is the Head of Global Growth Marketing at TechSoup, a 501c3 nonprofit that helps other nonprofits and NGOs gain access to technology and learn to use it effectively. With an extensive background in communications and advocacy, Nick focuses on helping organizations connect technology with their mission.

💡 Key quotes: "Every nonprofit out there should be doing email. I don't think there's any one-fits-all frequency of how often you should be doing it, or what should it say, but everybody should be using it. It's a foundational tool."

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

👋 Where to find TechSoup: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn

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

From satellite dishes and hot tubs to coaching real estate teams, Verl Workman's entrepreneurial journey is full of unexpected turns. Facing hardship early in life, Verl developed a strong work ethic and a knack for sales. A chance encounter with a satisfied customer led him to a successful career in real estate. 

But Verl's drive to innovate pushed him beyond traditional real estate sales, into technology training and public speaking. Now, as CEO and co-founder of Workman Success Systems, he empowers real estate teams to achieve "predictable greatness."

Verl challenges the solo agent model, advocating for the power of teams in real estate. He emphasizes leverage and delegation as keys to a balanced life. "Anything you do three times, create a system for it," Verl advises, encouraging realtors to prioritize high-value activities and delegate less profitable tasks. This approach frees up time for family and personal pursuits while building a successful business.

On this episode of the Be A Marketer podcast - Real Estate Edition, Verl sits down with hosts Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Stephanie Alonso, Sr. Director, Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact, to share his unique system for achieving predictable success in real estate. They delve into niche marketing, building a family-centric business culture, and harnessing the power of storytelling to forge deeper connections with clients. 

Additional Resources:

• The Power Of Segmentation (And How To Start)
• 8 Best Practices for Email List Segmentation
• How to Avoid Real Estate Agent Burnout
• The Power of Storytelling: How Great Stories Turn People into Brand Champions 
• Raving Referrals For Real Estate Agents: The Proven Step-By-Step System To Build A Profitable Real Estate Business
• About Raving Referrals for Real Estate Agents

Meet Today’s Guest: Verl Workman of Workman Success Systems

👨‍💼 What he does: Verl Workman is the CEO and co-founder of Workman Success Systems, a business coaching company specializing in real estate teams. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, speaker, and coach with a passion for helping real estate professionals achieve predictable greatness in their businesses and lives. He believes in building strong family-centric businesses and leveraging systems and teams to create sustainable success.

💡 Key quote: "If you stop looking at the past to define what your future looks like, and you wipe it clean and say, 'what if,’ it's game-changing."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook

👋 Where to find Workman Success Systems: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter

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

When most real estate agents sell a property, they often lose the customer to property managers, insurance agents, and other service providers. But Jacqui Luberto saw an opportunity to change this pattern.

Jacqui opened her brokerage in 2020, on the day Florida shut down and has since built a network of six interconnected businesses that help clients at every step of their ownership journey.

"I look at a property when I sell it to someone, and I say, 'What are all of the things they can do with this property?' I want to be a part of their entire journey," Jacqui shares on the Be a Marketer podcast.

What drives Jacqui's success? In this episode, Jacqui and host Dave Charest explore how she leverages her marketing background to build lasting customer relationships. They discuss her strategic approach to timing customer communications, why social media positivity matters, and how she uses monthly community events to stand out in a crowded market.

Listen in to learn how Jacqui uses Constant Contact's versatile platform to manage communications across multiple businesses, ensuring she stays connected with customers throughout their journey.

 Additional Resources:

●  Real Estate Content Ideas to Get More Clients

●  Real Estate Client Appreciation Ideas: Events, Gifts, and More

●  Real Estate Lead Conversion: Nurture Leads and Increase Sales

●  Content Marketing for Real Estate

Meet Today's Guest: Jacqui Luberto of Realty One Group & One Family Property Services

🎯 What she does: Jacqui is the broker/owner of Realty One Group and five other interconnected businesses in Destin, Florida, including One Family Property Services, Defender Insurance, Gulf Coast Beachfronts, Emerald Coast Referral Network, and Nest Vacant Property Management. She combines her marketing background with real estate expertise to maintain long-term customer relationships.

💡 Key quote: " I would lie if I said I didn't have any doubts, but the road is paved with dead squirrels who had doubts. So we just have to move and you'll be able to figure it out. It's real estate, no one dies, this is not surgery… You can change course, but if you're not moving swiftly and intentionally, you're just going to get left behind."

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

👋 Where to find Realty One Group:  Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 

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

Being a successful real estate agent demands a clear and authentic personal brand. Christine George, CEO and Founder of Post & Beam Creative, didn’t set out to help agents sell more homes. Instead, she focuses on helping them uncover their unique identities and stand out in a crowded market.

Christine has spent over 15 years in the real estate industry, refining strategies that empower agents to market themselves with confidence. In this episode, she shares her journey and her "three A's" framework: Awaken, Activate, and Amplify. Through this process, agents can define their niche, craft intentional marketing strategies, and make authentic connections with their ideal clients.

"When you are true to who you are, your clients feel it," Christine explains. "They feel it. So focus on what you do and what you do well and continue to challenge yourself along the way, but forget about what everybody else is doing because they're not watching you and whatever they're doing."

Tune in today to the Be A Marketer podcast with hosts Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Stephanie Alfonso, Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact, to discover how to craft your unique brand, attract your dream clients, and make meaningful connections that fuel your success.

Additional Resources:

• Get Started With Email Marketing: 10 Things You Need to Do First
• How to Build an Effective Email List: Best Practices and Strategies
• How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)
• Goal Getter: 3 Email Marketing Goals to Set for the New Year

Meet Today’s Guest: Christine George of Post & Beam Creative

🤔 What she does: Christine George is the CEO and Founder of Post & Beam Creative, a branding and marketing services firm specializing in real estate. She helps agents and brokers uncover their unique value and bring it to life through personalized branding and marketing strategies.

💡 Key quote: “When you are true to who you are, your clients feel it. They feel it. So focus on what you do and what you do well and continue to challenge yourself along the way, but forget about what everybody else is doing because they're not watching you and whatever they're doing. If you try to do it, it's not going to come off the same way. It's just going to come off as disingenuous. So just be who you are.”

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Instagram 

👋 Where to find Post & Beam Creative: Website | YouTube | Spotify | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest

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