Engaging Marketeer

Most businesses don’t struggle because they’re bad at what they do. They struggle because nobody finds them interesting enough to care!

Today's episode of The Engaging Marketeer is all about what actually makes a business stand out when everyone sounds the same, looks the same and says the same safe things.

From why so much marketing feels painfully boring, to how trust is really built and why relying on word of mouth alone is a dangerous game, this one pulls apart a lot of assumptions people have come to rely on.

The full episode with Canadian marketing expert Chris O'Shea is now available to stream on all platforms.

About Chris: 

Chris O'Shea is a marketing and business advisor based in Canada, working closely with small and growing businesses to help them stand out, build demand, and grow sustainably.

With a background spanning tech, marketing, and advisory work, Chris focuses on cutting through noise, challenging safe thinking, and helping business owners understand what actually drives attention, trust, and long-term value. His work sits at the intersection of strategy, marketing, and real-world business fundamentals, with a strong emphasis on clarity, relevance, and human connection.

Chris regularly shares his thinking through LinkedIn content and public speaking, offering practical insight for business owners navigating change in an increasingly competitive and fast-moving landscape.

You can connect with Chris here: 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisoshea11/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChrisOShea

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is one of those conversations that stays with you long after it ends...

In this week’s podcast, Korina and Darren talk about clutter, comparison, social media pressure and the emotional weight we attach to our homes and belongings.

This goes deeper than organisation tips or tidy rooms - Korina reveals how our environments affect our mental wellbeing, how comparison with others wears us down and why being intentional with what we keep is not about perfection, but about peace.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, cluttered or stressed by your surroundings or by expectations that do not really fit your life, this episode is for you.

More about Korina: 

Korina Venn is a professional organiser and decluttering specialist who helps people create calmer, more balanced homes through practical and sustainable organisation. She takes a holistic approach that considers lifestyle, wellbeing, and personal circumstances rather than rigid rules or aesthetics. Through her work with Tidy by KV, Korina supports individuals and families to reduce overwhelm, regain control of their space, and build habits that last.

You can connect with Korina here:

Website: https://tidybykv.co.uk/

APDO: https://www.apdo.co.uk/member/korina-venn.html

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/korina-venn-karagiannakis/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/tidybykv/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TidyByKV/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tidybykv/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

How many powerful ideas die because someone feels guilty for wanting more?

In today’s episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Meg Calvin shares what she kept seeing at conferences - people pulling her aside, lowering their voices and almost confessing their book ideas like secrets.

Not because their ideas were bad - but because they were wrapped in shame, fear and the belief that wanting to share their work, or earn from it, somehow made them greedy or wrong.

This changed everything for ex-preacher Meg, and became her turning point for helping others. The work she does now is about trusting your instincts and putting meaningful ideas into the world - without guilt attached.

If you have ever talked yourself out of sharing something that mattered to you, this episode will hit close to home. 

More about Meg:

Meg Calvin is a Kansas based author, coach, and book coach who helps entrepreneurs and leaders turn the ideas in their head into published books that build authority and grow their brand. After years in ministry, including preaching from the age of 13, Meg now supports clients through the full journey of writing, marketing, and selling their books, with a focus on clarity, confidence, and creative integrity. She is also an improv performer with the troupe Snark Side of the Moon, and brings that same presence, play, and sharp communication into her coaching and speaking.

You can connect with Meg here: 

Website: https://www.megcalvin.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meggie.calvin

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heymegcalvin/?hl=en

Audible: https://www.audible.in/author/Meggie-Lee-Calvin/B074L9XZ4B

Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Meggie-Lee-Calvin/author/B074L9XZ4B

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What if the reason clients remember you has nothing to do with your website, ads or emails?

Darren poses this simple question: What can you send, do or create that actually makes someone stop, smile and think about your business days or even weeks later?

Today's episode of The Engaging Marketeer is all about building real relationships in business. You'll hear why physical gestures or unexpected interactions can create trust and loyalty, and how something as simple as a thank you can do the work your marketing can't.

If you want clients or referral partners to remember you for all the right reasons, this episode will give you plenty to think about. 

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What happens when the career you worked so hard for no longer fits the life you are living?

In this episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Ann Currie shares her story of leaving the legal profession after nearly 20 years when she hit burnout, and questioned everything she thought success was supposed to look like.

She and Darren discuss the warning signs she ignored, the pressure of long hours and expectations and how a need for freedom led her to rethink work entirely - leaving behind the courtrooms for camper vans!

If you have ever felt stuck in a career that looks good on paper but feels wrong day to day, this conversation will resonate. Discover practical insights, hard earned lessons and reassurance that it is possible to change direction without having everything figured out in advance.

More about Ann:

Ann Currie is a former solicitor who made a bold career shift in search of a happier, more balanced working life. After nearly 20 years in law, she left the profession following burnout and went on to build her own camper van rental business, using it as a practical way to learn marketing, websites, and social media from the ground up. Ann now works in marketing and communications, primarily supporting smaller businesses and events that do not have in-house teams or large budgets, bringing a strong focus on clarity, consistency, accessibility, and brand voice.

You can connect with Ann here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-currie-a9b23b33/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ann.currie88/?hl=en

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@ann.currie88/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

More leads will not fix a broken business.

Spending money on SEO, ads or networking without a proper sales process is one of the fastest ways to burn through a marketing budget and see nothing in return.

In today's episode of The Engaging Marketeer, discover why marketing should never come first, how slow or inconsistent follow ups are doing more damage than you think, and why so many businesses blame marketing when the real issue is happening after the enquiry comes in.

If referrals have dried up, leads have gone cold and work feels unpredictable, this episode will make you rethink your sales process.

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Not every success story starts with a win.

In today's episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Nathan Brown talks openly about the early missteps that shaped his career. From projects that went wrong, to being made redundant, to rebuilding teams before he really knew what he was doing, this is a proper, honest conversation about learning the hard way, and why some of the moments that feel like failures at the time turn out to be the foundations for everything that follows. It's safe to say that Nathan is now smashing it.

If you’re running a business, growing a team or feeling like you are figuring things out as you go, this episode is for you. Start the new year off on the right foot by giving this one a listen. 

About Nathan:

Nathan Brown is the founder of Robus Marketing, a UK based digital marketing agency that works heavily with franchise networks. He has no formal A levels or degree and started out in live music and events before moving into the care sector, where he progressed into senior roles and then took responsibility for marketing and sales. He later completed a Level 6 Diploma in Professional Marketing with the CIM.

After being made redundant in 2014, Nathan became Marketing Manager for a home care franchise, which shaped his franchise marketing experience. He launched Robus Marketing in 2017, grew it primarily through business networking and retained relationships, and now runs a fully remote team across the UK and the Philippines delivering Google Ads, social media, website projects, and marketing strategy, while he focuses on sales, client relationships, and scaling systems.

Connect with Nathan: 

Website: https://robusmarketing.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/robusmarketing/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robus_marketing/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbrownp/

Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robus-marketing/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Do you give people a second chance if they waste your time?

Your time is your most valuable asset - and once it's wasted, you don't get it back. In today's episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren goes deep on professional standards, boundaries and why how people handle their diary tells you everything you need to know about how they value your relationship.

This isn't about being rigid or difficult - it's about protecting your time, setting clear expectations and deciding when a second chance is earned rather than automatically given.

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk 

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"It’s a very painful lesson learned"

In this week's episode of The Engaging Marketeer, Darren is joined by Les Murray. Les is both an executive coach and leadership consultant who works closely with business owners, managers and founders to sharpen strategy, simplify operations and build leadership teams that truly thrive.

During this conversation, Les explains why some roles are only truly valued once they’re gone and the costly lessons businesses learn as a result.

About Les Murray:

Les Murray is a coach and speaker at 20-20 Coaching, working with individuals and business leaders who want greater clarity, confidence, and stronger decision making, particularly when operating under pressure or responsibility.

His journey into coaching and public speaking did not come from performance or presentation, but from recognising moments where he wanted to help others and realised he was not yet equipped to do so effectively. That honesty led him to develop his communication, thinking, and leadership skills through environments such as the Professional Speaking Association. Les focuses on competence before confidence, helping people grow into leadership roles through clearer thinking, better questions, and personal accountability. His work centres on the belief that real development starts by acknowledging gaps, taking responsibility, and committing to consistent improvement.

You can connect with Les here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesmurray/

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@20-20management?si=_Ca9_0UANYAklH7v

Website: https://20-20management.com/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Some stories stop you in your tracks.

For The Engaging Marketeer’s special 200th episode, Darren invited BNI Global Convention host Greg Davies-Polaine to share tales that every business owner needs to hear.

Greg has a way of turning real life moments into valuable lessons. He talks about resilience, consistency, the power of community and why the people around you can accelerate your progress faster than any tactic or trend. This episode goes deeper into how you build trust, stay top of mind and create opportunities simply by being the person others rely on.

If you want practical mindset shifts and a fresh perspective on what drives long term business growth, this is the episode to watch.

About Greg Davies-Polaine:

Greg Davies-Polaine is the executive director for BNI in London South East and Croydon, a role he describes as “the best job in the world” because it allows him to help business owners grow through meaningful relationships.

A former signage company owner, he built his reputation inside BNI as a leader, trainer and storyteller, eventually creating his public speaking persona, The Story Fella. Greg has launched and grown multiple successful chapters, including long-standing groups such as Achievers in Sussex, and has gone on to host both the UK National Conference and the BNI Global Convention, including the main stage in Hawaii. Alongside co-authoring books such as Infinite Legacy with Dr Ivan Misner, he continues to champion the power of stories, structured networking and “givers gain” as tools to change lives, support local charities and create business communities that outlast the people who start them.

You can connect with Greg here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdavies1979/

Facebook: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregdavies1979/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregdavies1979/

About your host:

Darren has worked within digital marketing since the last century, and was the first in-house web designer for video games retailer GAME in the UK, known as Electronics Boutique in the States. After co-founding his own agency, Engage Web, in 2009, Darren has worked with clients around the world, including Australia, Canada and the USA.

iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/engaging-marketeer/id1612454837

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darrenjamieson/

Engaging Marketeer: https://engagingmarketeer.com

Engage Web: https://www.engageweb.co.uk

Support the show: https://engageweb.club

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.