2025 was weird — and if running your business felt harder than it used to, you’re not imagining it.

In this episode of Good Marketing with Stephanie, Stephanie Pryor talks directly to freelancers, solopreneurs, and small agency owners who survived a turbulent year of economic uncertainty, shrinking budgets, AI disruption, and nonstop pressure to adapt.

If you’ve caught yourself thinking:

• “Is it just me, or is this harder than it used to be?”

• “Should I just go back to a full-time job?”

• “Why does it look like everyone else is winning on LinkedIn?”

...you're not alone!

This episode is about what the hard moments of 2025 actually taught us — and how to use those lessons to make calmer, smarter, more intentional decisions heading into 2026. Stephanie breaks down the emotional reality of freelancing, why slower years don’t mean failed businesses, and the unsexy but critical systems that help small businesses survive and scale.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why a down year doesn’t mean your business is broken

• How to stop taking hard moments personally — and start learning from them

• Why clarity of vision matters more than hustle right now

• How frameworks like EOS and Traction support sustainable growth

• Why a great accountant can be one of your highest-ROI relationships

This isn’t about louder marketing or chasing the next shiny object. It’s about building something steadier, clearer, and more resilient — especially if you’re self-funded and every dollar counts.

If you’re a freelancer or small business owner looking for a reset, this episode is for you.

Follow Good Marketing with Stephanie for honest conversations about marketing, business ownership, and growth — without the hype.

Connect with Stephanie:

https://lancmarketing.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieapryor/ 

Show Notes

Good Marketing with Stephanie: #Talk Tariffs: Why Marketing Still Matters in a Downturn:

Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman 

Crystal Bridal Boutique Manhattan

What does it really look like to prepare your marketing for 2026—with AI, shifting buyer journeys, and changing KPIs all at once?

In this episode of Good Marketing with Stephanie, host Stephanie Pryor chats with Lisa Zwikl, Chief Strategy Officer at SmartAcre, about the intersection of brand, AI, and the future of search.

Lisa started her career in PR, moved into strategic communications and demand operations, and now helps B2B brands modernize their demand engines and adopt AI with intention. Her take: your brand is context—and without that context, AI can’t help you the way you want it to.

You’ll hear about:

• Why a strong brand foundation is essential for any AI strategy

• What it means to train AI models as a marketer (using tools like ChatGPT in a practical way)

• How to use projects and guardrails in AI tools to stay on-brand and safe

• The shift from traditional SEO to AEO (AI / Answer / Action Engine Optimization)

• Why organic traffic is changing and what to focus on instead

• How to repurpose and amplify long-form content across channels with AI

• New ways to think about conversions (beyond gated ebooks)

  Why speed and creativity will matter more than ever in 2026

Stephanie and Lisa also talk candidly about the fear and hype around AI, why “AI will replace marketing teams” is a bad take, and how AI is best used as an amplifier—not a replacement—for strong strategy and good marketing.

About Our Guest

Lisa Zwikl, Chief Strategy Officer at SmartAcre (B2B marketing agency).

Connect with Lisa & Smartacre: https://www.getsmartacre.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lzwikl/ 

Connect with Stephanie

https://lancmarketing.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieapryor/ 

Show Notes

Lisa suggests checking out HubSpot’s Marketing Against the Grain podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3bMqKPfI45OmTK5hENtIOk?si=e3cfacaff1d84560 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/marketing-against-the-grain/id1616700934 

If you’re a marketer, communicator, or PR pro trying to figure out what comes next, this episode will give you both big-picture perspective and practical next steps for 2026.

In this episode, host Stephanie Pryor sits down with Patrick Schober, founder, CEO, and creative director of Poetica Marketing, a branding, marketing, and events agency based in Pittsburgh. 

Stephanie and Patrick dive into one of the most urgent topics in the industry today: the role of AI in marketing. From AI’s impact on workflow to its increasing presence in advertising, sales, and content creation, they explore how AI can augment human creativity rather than replace it.

Patrick discusses the dangers of “AI slop,” the importance of human oversight, and why strategy remains the most valuable asset an agency can offer in 2026.

Plus, we cover our favorite Christmas movies and address an age-old question (for Millennials, anyway): Is Harry Potter a Christmas movie?

🔗 Visit Poetica Marketing: https://www.poeticamarketing.com/ 

🔗 Follow Patrick Schober: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-schober-pgh/ 

🔗 Follow Stephanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieapryor/ 

🔗 Follow LANC: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lanc-marketing 

🔗 Visit LANC: https://lancmarketing.com/ 

In this episode of Good Marketing with Stephanie, Stephanie sits down with Amy Steinmann, Principal of Halbrooke & Elm Strategic Communications, to unpack their biggest insights from the 2025 PRSA ICON conference.

Stephanie and Amy discuss the evolving role of storytelling in PR, how AI is reshaping communications, the rising importance of trust and message discipline, and why owned media matters more than ever.

They also explore practical ways communicators can stay agile, measure message impact, and connect authentically with diverse audiences.

Whether you’re in PR, marketing, or communications, this conversation is packed with takeaways you can bring into your strategy for 2026 and beyond.

🔗 Connect with Amy Steinmann

🔗 Follow Halbrooke & Elm

🔗 Connect with Stephanie Pryor

🔗 Follow LANC Marketing

🔗 For more about 2025 PRSA ICON from Amy

In this episode of Good Marketing with Stephanie, we’re talking tariffs, uncertainty, and how to stay visible when marketing budgets are under pressure.

Stephanie is joined by Emmy Ross, Director of Business Development and Marketing at Astro Metal Craft, to explore how manufacturers—and all businesses—can approach communications strategically, even during turbulent economic times.

They unpack how past crises shaped marketing resilience, why cutting budgets may cost more in the long run, and how optimism still plays a role in smart decision-making today.

🔗 Important Links!

Follow Emmy Ross on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmy-ross-astro/

Follow Astro Metal Craft on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/astro-metal-craft/

Follow Stephanie Pryor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieapryor/

Branding expert Paul Kiesche of Aviate Creative joins Stephanie to discuss the key components of impactful B2B branding and how it affects your customers, employees, and industry peers.

Follow Paul Kiesche on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkiesche/

Learn more about Aviate Creative: aviatecreative.com

Are you effectively building and maintaining an online community for your brand?

In this episode, host Stephanie Pryor and former LANC marketing & PR specialist, Lindsay Griffin, talk about balancing corporate branding and EGC to create trust with your audience.

If you haven't picked client gifts yet, we have you covered.

In this episode of Good Marketing with Stephanie, she speaks with Diana Smedley, co-owner of Lancaster Gift Box, about corporate gifting strategy and best practices.

Want to learn more about LANC Marketing? Visit our website here: https://lancmarketing.com/.

It's officially Q4, so you know what that means: budget season. Aileen Wigotow, CPA, shares best practices and advice for budgeting.

What is really going on with Google?

GMWS host Stephanie Pryor interviews Mordy Oberstein, Head of SEO Brand at Wix. In this episode, they talk all-things-Google, SEO, and holding yourself accountable.