Be A Marketer with Dave Charest

Building a real estate empire wasn't Marki Lemons Ryhal's first career choice. A fifth-generation entrepreneur, she found her way to real estate after a lawsuit with her family and because she wanted a flexible career as a working mom. Now a global keynote speaker, author, and prop tech investor, Marki's journey is anything but ordinary.

In this episode, the first of the Be a Marketer podcast - Real Estate limited series, Marki shares her unconventional path to success and the lessons she's learned. She pulls back the curtain on real estate agents' struggles, emphasizing the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset. “A lack of consistency is your business killer,” she warns, highlighting the need for disciplined action.

Join Marki and hosts Stephanie Alonso and Dave Charest as they explore the power of video marketing, landing pages, and CRMs. Discover why giving new agents leads can be counterproductive and how diversifying income streams is crucial for long-term growth. Marki offers practical advice for agents and brokers, stressing the importance of innovation and leveraging technology, especially AI. Tune in to learn how to make the most of your real estate career.

Additional Resources:

• Drive With NAR Podcast
• Create a Video Marketing Strategy with 5 Easy Steps
• Real Estate Video Marketing Guide: Top Ideas to Help You Sell More
• How to Create Consistent, Effective Marketing Habits
• Mastering Your Marketing Automation Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide

Meet Today’s Guest: Marki Lemons Ryhal of ReMarkiTable LLC

👩‍💼 What she does: Marki Lemons Ryhal is a real estate keynote speaker, podcast host, prop tech investor, and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at ReMarkiTable LLC. A fifth-generation entrepreneur, she brings decades of experience and a unique perspective to the real estate industry, advocating for innovation, technology adoption, and an entrepreneurial mindset. She is also a published author and a strong believer in the power of video marketing.

💡 Key quote: "Being successful in real estate is doing boring things consistently… I can tell you a lack of consistency is your business killer."

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

👋 Where to find ReMarkiTable LLC: LinkedIn

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Starting a business often means learning to trust yourself first — especially when battling both personal and professional challenges.

Teresa Heath-Wareing built a six-figure agency as a single parent, then transformed it into a successful online business. But her journey involved more than just business growth; she also sought authenticity in both marketing and life.

"I built a six-figure business while drunk or hungover," Teresa shares candidly about her past struggle with alcohol addiction. “So, if I can do that, what the hell can I do now that I am 100% clear-headed and focused?"

Teresa discusses the real meaning of showing up vulnerably in your marketing, why email marketing beats social media for building relationships, and how she generates revenue through multiple streams. She also breaks down the mindset shifts needed to overcome imposter syndrome and self-sabotage.

On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, join host Dave Charest and Teresa as they explore what it really means to market authentically online, the importance of building your email list before anything else, and why consistency in the right marketing channels matters more than trying to do everything.

👉 Check out the full podcast episode Teresa mentioned in this episode.

 Additional Resources:

●  Audience Engagement Keeps Eyes on Your Business

●  How to Market Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget

●  Digital Marketing for Small Business: How to Get Started

●  Get Started With Email Marketing: 10 Things You Need to Do First

Meet Today’s Guest: Teresa Heath-Wareing of THW Marketing Limited

🎯 What she does: Teresa Heath-Wareing helps entrepreneurs scale their online businesses through strategic marketing and audience growth. After a successful corporate marketing career that included a role at Land Rover, she built a six-figure agency. She later transformed her business model to focus on online business coaching and has become a sought-after international speaker.

💡 Key quote: "If you are trying to help people and show people the way, no one wants to hear when you are in the messy middle of it. What is really helpful is being honest about it happening and being honest about the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties you've gone through at the point where I can help people and tell them how I got through it."

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

👋 Where to find THW Marketing Limited: Website | LinkedIn

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

After a career in Los Angeles, Aljolynn Sperber returned to her hometown with a vision. She became the Executive Director of Visit Kitsap Peninsula, combining her marketing skills with her passion for her community. Her goal is to both promote the area to visitors and build a strong sense of belonging for locals.

This is not just about attracting tourists; for Aljolynn, it’s about making everyone feel welcome. This involves partnering with local businesses and prioritizing core values. "The overall story is we want people to feel like they belong when they come here," she shares on the Be A Marketer podcast, a series dedicated to helping Constant Contact customers succeed with marketing.

In this episode, host Dave Charest and Aljolynn dive into her strategies for destination marketing. They discuss the need for a modern, mobile-responsive website and how she uses data to inform her decisions. They also cover the value of email segmentation and how she engages her audience with polls and surveys.

Tune in to discover how Aljolynn balances innovation with tradition, cultivates meaningful community connections, and consistently promotes her core values, while boosting Kitsap.

Additional Resources:

• Why a Mobile Responsive Website Matters
• Mobile-Friendly vs Mobile-Responsive
• Goal Getter: 3 Email Marketing Goals to Set for the New Year
• Survey Questions: Find the Best Tools for Crafting Effective Surveys
• Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact

Meet Today’s Guest: Aljolynn Sperber of Visit Kitsap Peninsula

👩‍💼 What she does: Aljolynn is the Executive Director of Visit Kitsap Peninsula, the official tourism organization for the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. She is focused on promoting tourism while also making sure locals feel a sense of belonging in their community. She uses her background in marketing and her love of the area to make Kitsap a great place to visit and live.

💡 Key quote: "I love data and what it can do for people. And so take advantage of any data that you can get from Constant Contact or any other tool that you're using to help inform your decisions and make a really good impact for the community that you're living, working, playing in."

👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Visit Kitsap Peninsula: Website | Instagram | Facebook 

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

From the slopes to the screen, Lena Niedzielin’s marketing journey is anything but predictable. Growing up skiing in New England, Lena never imagined she’d be managing an indoor ski facility in London. But as the manager of Skieasy, she’s traded her skis for spreadsheets and discovered a passion for connecting people with winter sports, all year round.

However, marketing an indoor ski center presents unique challenges. How do you reach an audience that may not even know your business exists? On this episode of Be A Marketer, Lena shares her secrets to success, including her innovative use of Constant Contact to build customer relationships and drive off-season sales. “It’s a huge challenge to find one specific strategy that would work for all our customers,” Lena explains, highlighting the need for targeted marketing.

Tune in to discover how Lena leverages email marketing, community engagement, and local events to grow her contact list and keep skiers coming back for more, even when the sun is shining. On this episode, Lena and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, unpack practical tips for data-driven decision-making, crafting engaging newsletters, and maximizing your marketing ROI.

Additional Resources:

• Getting started with the Automation Path Builder
• Customer Feedback: How to Get It and How to Use It
• Personalized Emails: Boost Customer Connection with Tailored Strategies
• How to Use Surveys on Social Media

Meet Today’s Guest: Lena Niedzielin of Skieasy

⛷️ What she does: Lena Niedzielin is the manager of Skieasy, an indoor ski facility at Duke Meadows in West London. Passionate about skiing and connecting people with winter sports, Lena leverages her marketing skills to grow the business and overcome the challenges of promoting a niche market. She is a Constant Contact customer.

💡 Key quote: "I've learned so much, definitely the importance of graphics and the layout and I've always been very creative. So I think this is one of my biggest advantages I had from the very beginning. I was looking for things that would work and being creative, trying new things, trying to see what works, get that feedback from your customers."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Skieasy: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok

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

Who knew a simple idea to bake together virtually could turn into a thriving online community? When the pandemic hit, Christina Tosi, chef and founder of Milk Bar, and Shannon Salzano, Milk Bar’s Brand Director, found themselves searching for a way to connect with people. 

Turning their cameras on, they invited others to join them in the kitchen, creating a space for comfort and connection amidst the uncertainty. Thus, Bake Club was born, offering a much-needed sense of togetherness during a difficult time. It quickly evolved, becoming a vibrant online community centered around sharing recipes and a heartfelt newsletter, delivered straight to inboxes like a warm hug.

For Christina and Shannon, Bake Club is about more than just baking. "We're a business that shows up for people," Christina says on this episode of Be A Marketer, a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners like you make sense of online marketing. Join Christina, Shannon, and host  Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, as they explore Bake Club’s delicious journey, uncovering their secret ingredients to community building and the power of authentic connection.

Tune in to discover how Bake Club leverages the power of email marketing to nurture genuine relationships, the importance of adapting to change, and their experience using Constant Contact to achieve marketing success. Christina and Shannon also share invaluable insights for business owners at any stage, emphasizing that building a successful business — much like baking a perfect cake — takes time and dedication. 

Additional Resources:

• How Does Community Outreach Support Business Growth?
• Personalized Emails: Boost Customer Connection with Tailored Strategies
• The Power Of Segmentation (And How To Start)
• 8 Best Practices for Email List Segmentation

Meet Today’s Guests: Christina Tosi and Shannon Salzano of Bake Club

🍰 What Christina does: Christina is a chef, author, and founder of Milk Bar, known for its innovative desserts and whimsical approach to baking. She's also a judge on MasterChef, host of Bake Squad on Netflix, and co-creator of Bake Club.

💡 Key quote: "The answers are always right in front of you. They're always hiding right in front of you. It's whether or not you slow down or perk up enough to realize that you have the answer."

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

✍️ What Shannon does: Shannon is the brand director for Milk Bar and co-creator of Bake Club. She leads the development and execution of brand strategy, including community building and email marketing. She's passionate about fostering authentic connections with people.

💡 Key quote: "I think really just being intentional with the immediate steps in front of you and really trying to do those to a degree that you feel you're accomplishing well. That's really been, I think, the thing that we get caught up in the most.”

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

👋 Where to find Bake Club: Website | Newsletter

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

The future of marketing feels like a runaway train. It's exciting, sure, but also terrifying. How do you keep up and plan for success when the ground beneath you seems to shift constantly? Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, understand this struggle. 

That's why they've dedicated this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast to helping small business owners like you thrive in 2025. They've compiled five key strategies, gleaned from conversations with successful business owners, to help you succeed.

"If you think of marketing as a tool, it's really this idea of communicating with the people that are open to hearing your message and then finding the places where you can find more of those people and getting in front of them and then keeping your business top of mind with them," Dave explains. 

This episode unpacks that idea, offering practical advice you can implement immediately. Discover the power of community building, the importance of continuous learning, and how automation can free up your time.

Tune in to learn how to segment your audience for personalized marketing and why regularly reviewing your strategies is crucial for growth. Dave and Kelsi share real-world examples from Constant Contact customers, demonstrating how these strategies have led to real success. Get actionable tips and valuable insights to make 2025 your best year yet.

Additional Resources:

• Getting started with the Automation Path Builder
• Marketing Automation Trends to Know in 2025
• How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)
• Email List Segmentation From A (as in Age) to Z (as in Zip Code)
• Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact

Meet Today's Hosts: Dave Charest & 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 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

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

Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, have spent the year chatting with small business owners and marketing experts on the Be a Marketer podcast, gathering insights to help entrepreneurs thrive.

Now, they're ready to share the best of those lessons. From goal-setting to storytelling, they've covered a lot of ground. But one theme keeps popping up: the need for flexibility. "Everything is changing all the time," Dave notes. "You often have to have an idea of where you're going to go and almost be broad with setting those objectives."

Dave and Kelsi also explore the power of community engagement, the importance of audience-focused content, and how marketing automation can be a game-changer for small businesses.

Tune in to hear how successful businesses are leveraging these strategies, what's working for building engaged audiences, and how you can apply these lessons to make 2025 your best year yet. Also, get Kelsi’s updates on her ducks and how she plans to keep them comfortable through the winter. 

Additional Resources:

• Getting started with the Automation Path Builder
• Using Constant Contact SEO tools
• How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)
• Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact

Meet Today's Guests: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact

🚀 What Dave does: He is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. He helps small business owners make sense of online marketing and hosts the Be A Marketer podcast.

💡 Key quote: "Review, plan and execute. So really take a look at how things went for you as you close out the year and start to set those new goals for 2025."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

📝 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and produces the Be a Marketer podcast. She also writes the Be a Marketer newsletter for Constant Contact's LinkedIn page.

💡 Key quotes: "I don't think goals should be set in stone. They need to be evolving with your business and growing with your business because needs change."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

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

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

Most small business owners excel in their chosen fields, but marketing often feels like uncharted territory. You know you need a website and an email list, but what should your website look like? 

What should you be sending to your email list? And how do you know if any of it is even working?

David Fischer, Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth and Constant Contact Community Coach, understands these challenges. For 14 years, he and his team have helped small businesses nationwide elevate their marketing efforts and get real results.

David joined Dave Charest on the Be a Marketer podcast to share his insights on how to level up your email marketing using the power of segmentation. 

Simply put, segmentation means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, like demographics, purchase history, or even engagement levels. This allows you to send more personalized and relevant emails that resonate with each subscriber.

“The more targeted and more specific the message is to those people, the more it will resonate with them and the better results you're going to get," David explains.

Tune in to learn tactical tips for segmenting your email list, understanding the difference between lists and segments, and sending the right message to the right people at the right time.

Additional Resources:

• Email List Segmentation
• Segment Your Lists
• Email List Segmentation Best Practices
• 🎧 Ep. #63: Segmentation for Nonprofits with Stephanie Campbell 

Meet Today’s Guest: David Fischer of Solutions for Growth

🚀 What he does: David Fischer is the Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth, a full-service marketing agency that has been helping small businesses thrive for over 14 years. As a Certified Constant Contact Partner and Community Coach, David is passionate about helping businesses harness the power of digital marketing to achieve their goals.

💡 Key quote: “The bottom line is that regardless of the company you are managing, a happy team delivers better results.”

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Solutions for Growth: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube

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

Are your email marketing reports leaving you feeling puzzled? You're getting opens, you're even getting clicks, but are those translating to real results for your business?

On this episode of Be a Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, sits down with Lindsay Higgins, owner of L2L Creative Group and a Constant Contact Certified Partner. Lindsay understands the struggle of deciphering marketing reports. 

She shares her insights on going beyond vanity metrics like opens and click-through rates, to focus on what truly matters: conversions and achieving overall business goals.

“There’s so many different methods of reviewing if your email actually worked,” says Lindsay. “But I think it goes back to the initial goal of your email and then kind of build from that.”

Tune in to discover Lindsay's advice on testing subject lines, optimizing send times, and using resends effectively. You'll learn how aligning your email content with your goals can unlock success and boost conversion.

Additional Resources:

• Getting started with the Automation Path Builder
• Using Constant Contact SEO tools
• How to Set Up an Effective Automated Welcome Email Series (with Examples)
• Set up to automatically resend to contacts who don’t open their email feature in Constant Contact

Meet Today’s Guest: Lindsay Higgins of L2L Creative Group

👩‍💼 What she does: Lindsay is the owner of L2L Creative Group, a Constant Contact Certified Partner based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her company helps businesses with their email marketing from setup to ongoing management. Lindsay is also a Constant Contact community coach, offering real-time guidance to other users.

💡 Key quote: “There's never going to be like the perfect subject line. There's never going to be the perfect day or time to send, in my opinion."

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find L2L Creative Group: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

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

Juggling a business is hard enough without adding the pressure of mastering multiple marketing channels. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, spreading yourself thin across social media, email, and who-knows-what-else. 

But what if there was a way to streamline your efforts and make your marketing work smarter, not harder?

That's where multichannel marketing comes in. "When you use them together, you get a sum that's greater than the parts," says Aaron Wesley Means, Founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, emphasizing the power of combining channels like email and social media. 

In this episode of Constant Contact's Be a Marketer podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, welcomes back Constant Contact Community Coach Aaron. 

Aaron shares his expert insights on creating cohesive, impactful campaigns that extend your reach and boost your business growth.

Tune in to learn how to leverage the unique strengths of each digital platform, discover how Constant Contact's Campaign Builder can streamline your multichannel strategy, and walk away with actionable advice to amplify your marketing impact.

Additional Resources:

• Join The Ready, Set, Send Challenge
• Ready Set Send Challenge Week 4: Multi-channel Campaign Creation
• Integrated Marketing Campaign Mastery: Transform Your Marketing
• Campaign Builder in Constant Contact
• Q&A: Achieve Your Goals with Multi-Channel Marketing Campaigns
• Welcome to the Constant Contact Community

Meet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions

💻 What he does: Aaron is the founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, a full-service micro-agency based in Asheville, North Carolina. A Constant Contact partner since 2011 and community coach, Aaron is passionate about empowering small businesses and nonprofits through education and hands-on marketing support.

💡 Key quote: "I've seen folks that are 'not techies' doing full campaigns with the Campaign Builder in five or 10 minutes."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Activate Business Solutions: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter 

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