Can you build a business without being chronically online?

Natalie Gates is a website copywriter and brand messaging strategist.

In this episode, Natalie shares the low-lift SEO strategy that brings in many of her clients, as well as how she gets referrals through relationships.

We get into what it's like to be marketers with mixed feelings around marketing, why we love websites, and whether or not we think you can grow without being chronically online.

Natalie also opens up about her pull between whimsy and structure, and how that impacts her newsletter writing.

If you're a service-based business owner who feels a little weird about marketing but knows you still have to do it, this one's for you.

Natalie's Website: https://nataliegates.ca/

Natalie's Newsletter: https://nataliegates.ca/subscribe

Natalie's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wordsbynatalie/

Natalie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natalie-gates-94163b109/ 

Brittany's Website: https://downeystrategy.com/

Brittany's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-downey/ 

What if the systems you set up once could keep selling for you while you're off doing a jigsaw puzzle...or another 9-5?

Jordan Gill is the founder of Systems Saved Me, where she helps business owners build the templates and automations that take them out of the day-to-day. After ten years running her own business, she recently joined the team at Kit as their senior affiliate marketing manager, and still runs Systems Saved Me in about ten hours a week alongside her full-time role.

In this conversation, Jordan shares what it looks like to run lean. We dig into why she templates almost everything, and the mindset that lets her "pop up" with a new offer instead of building each launch from scratch. She talks about where she's leaning on AI to rebuild pricey tools and hand off the work that doesn't light her up.

Jordan also gets honest about the offers and channels she's said no to, and the filter she uses to decide whether something's even worth creating. Plus, her ruthless approach to her email list.

If you're tired of reinventing the wheel every time you market your business, this one's about building it once and letting it run.

Jordan's Website: https://systemssavedme.com/

Jordan's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/systemssavedme/ 

Brittany's Website: https://downeystrategy.com/

Brittany's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-downey/ 

Amanda Natividad is a marketer, writer, and Chief Evangelist at the audience research company SparkToro. She also helped coin the term "Zero Click Marketing," and co-wrote a book by the same name with SparkToro's Rand Fishkin, coming out this fall.

In our conversation, Amanda shares how she pitched herself for a dream job that didn't exist, and how she brought her natural proclivity for audience research with her to SparkToro.

We get into what SparkToro does and doesn't do with their marketing. We also chat about how leading with their unique values and mission lets them approach growth a little differently than a lot of companies.

Amanda shares how she built her personal brand (even though she recoils at that term!) and how she's thinking about adding value for people pre-ordering the Zero Click Marketing book (coming this fall).

Oh, and we get into butter bells and sourdough, because why not.

Margin: https://www.marginfor.com/ 

Brittany's Website: https://downeystrategy.com/ 

In this solo episode, I share five specific ways I'm using AI in my solopreneur business...and three ways I don't.

Margin (the capacity planner I built): https://www.marginfor.com/ 

Kate is proof that you can grow a business on your own terms (without paying Meta a dollar).

Kate Assaraf is the founder of DIP, a sustainable haircare brand now in 800+ independent retailers across the country. She's redirected over $5 million to those local economies.

Kate went total analog when everyone else went digital and built a cult following on word of mouth alone. We get into how she refuses to undercut her retailers, and why she hasn't run ads up until now. Kate also opens up about her internal drive and how, for her, growth sometimes means doing less.

If you've ever felt pressure to push for more in ways that don't line up with your values (but you still want to push for more), this one's for you.

How much marketing do you really need to build a thriving solo business?

Laura Fenton is a journalist and author who's been writing about home design and sustainability for more than 20 years, with bylines in Better Homes & Gardens, New York Magazine, and The Washington Post. She's the author of The Little Book of Living Small and The Bunk Bed Book, and she writes Living Small, a top newsletter on Substack.

I discovered Laura's first book at the library, and ever since then, I've loved her voice and her intentionality.

In our conversation, we chat about how her business has grown with very little traditional marketing, and how relationships are a key piece of that growth.

Plus, Laura opens up about how "living small" has turned into "working small" (even as she continues to reach more people).

Laura's approach is a refreshing reminder that staying true to your values and your relationships can often carry you further than a traditional marketing plan.

Laura's Newsletter: https://laurafenton.substack.com

Laura's Website: https://laurafenton.com

Laura's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura.alice.fenton

Laura's Pitch & Get Press Class: https://shiragill.myflodesk.com/j0bnkdxa9s 

Brittany's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-downey/ 

Most of the advice about AI right now is about speed. Very little of it is about intention.

Prerna Malik is an AI Sales Strategist, Fractional CMO, and Conversion Copywriter. She's the co-founder of Content Bistro (soon to be Profitably Yours), a business she's been running with her husband Mayank since 2011.

Fifteen years in, Prerna is still excited about her work. She's fully booked months out, and she works about 20–25 hours a week.

In our conversation, she shares what it takes to build a business you don't resent, and what "intentionally profitable" means in practice.

And, of course, we get into AI — how treating AI like a team member (instead of a magic bullet) changes what it can do for your business. Prerna shares how to spot the AI "illusion of productivity" before it eats your time, plus what she keeps doing by hand.

Prerna’s Website: https://contentbistro.com/  

Brittany’s Website: https://downeystrategy.com/  

What if "small" wasn't a stepping stone?

Kevin Shinn is a chef, writer, and musician. I first experienced Kevin's work years ago, when I went to The Portico Experience: his one-table, backyard micro-restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska. It was an absolute delight. One of my all-time, top dining experiences. The Portico just kicked off its seventh season and books up, season after season, almost entirely through word of mouth.

In our conversation, Kevin shares the shifts that helped him move away from the traditional table-turning restaurant to something more personal. We get into what it looks like to choose the "smallest viable market"...and stay there.

We chatted about how he approaches marketing now, and how he's found his voice in fewer words. Plus, we dig into the three creative wells he draws from throughout the seasons.

Kevin also opens up about mentoring the next generation of chefs, the cost of overextending, and what growth means when the metric is simply "a better me."

If you've been wondering whether something smaller could be enough, this one's for you.

Kevin's Website: https://www.55degrees.us/ 

Brittany's Website: https://downeystrategy.com/ 

What happens when you stop trying to fit the mold of your industry and start building around what you're actually good at?

In this episode, I sat down in person with JT Martin at Hurrdat Media’s studio in Omaha, Nebraska. JT is the creator of The Corn Belt, a Nebraska-focused social media account with over 60 million views, the host of the Social Media Is Dead podcast, and the founder of Loudr, where he works with businesses on social media strategy and content.

We talk about how social media has changed, what JT is seeing work right now, and why many businesses feel stuck when social becomes a box to check instead of a long-term channel.

JT doesn’t sugarcoat the work it takes to build real momentum on social platforms. He shares what drives engagement today. 

We chat about when social media is worth your time, when it’s not, and when it might make more sense to hand it off.

If you’ve been feeling confused, tired, or skeptical about social media, this conversation offers clarity without hype. And (...spoiler) a reminder that connection still matters more than chasing trends.

Social Media is Dead Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/social-media-is-dead/id1808499844  

Brittany’s Website: https://downeystrategy.com/