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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, I sit down with Virginia Elder, podcast strategist and founder of a podcasting-for-business agency. We talk about how podcasting builds trust, drives leads, and becomes a powerful growth tool—without chasing perfection.

We cover:

Why Imperfection Builds Trust

• How over-editing hurts connection
• Why pauses, breaths, and authenticity matter
• The danger of sounding “too polished”

Podcasting for Business (Not Just Downloads)

• Why podcasts should support your core business
• How podcasting turns listeners into leads
• Why sponsorships aren’t the best fit for most service businesses

The C.R.A.F.T. Framework

• Content: Speak directly to your ideal client’s real concerns
• Repurpose: Turn episodes into video clips, emails, blogs, and posts
• Ask: One clear call to action—every time
• Feature: Guests who serve your audience and business goals
• Track: Measure leads, referrals, speaking gigs, and opportunities

Practical Podcasting Advice

• Start monthly if weekly feels overwhelming
• Use tools like Riverside or Descript to simplify production
• Choose a podcast name people actually search for

If you’re using (or considering) a podcast as part of your marketing strategy, this episode will help you stop overthinking and start using it intentionally.

Connect with Virginia Elder:

Website: https://podcastabundance.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/virginiaelder/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/podcastabundance

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In this episode, Kendra Corman shares a powerful classroom story that turned into a real-world lesson on integrated marketing communications. What started as a nonprofit fundraising case study became a master class—taught by her students—on how marketing channels work best when they work together.

Kendra walks through how three student teams tackled a struggling nonprofit gala and what their insights reveal about building a smarter, more intentional marketing mix.

The Classroom Experiment That Changed the Conversation

Students were asked to defend one of three fundraising strategies for a nonprofit facing rising costs and declining attendance:

• Keep the traditional annual gala
• Pivot to digital-first campaigns
• Replace the gala with smaller community events

Each team had to consider donor segments, demographics, and capacity—and challenge one another’s assumptions. The surprising outcome wasn’t which strategy “won,” but what the students realized next.

The Big Insight: It’s Not Either/Or

The breakthrough moment came when a student asked: Why do we have to pick just one?
That question reframed the entire exercise.

The final recommendation combined:

• A smaller, more focused gala for older donors and sponsors
• Community events to engage younger and niche audiences
• Digital marketing to expand reach and accessibility

Instead of abandoning what worked, they built around it. 

What Integrated Marketing Actually Looks Like

Kendra connects the classroom lesson to real client work, sharing how successful nonprofits:

• Keep core efforts that still serve a specific audience
• Add complementary channels based on donor segments
• Grow intentionally without overwhelming their teams

The key isn’t doing everything—it’s choosing the right mix and scaling with purpose.

A Simple Framework to Evaluate Your Marketing

Kendra offers three questions to help evaluate whether your current marketing mix makes sense:

1. Is it working—or just comfortable?
   Signs of “comfortable but not working” include declining results, increasing effort, and doing things out of habit.
2. If it’s working, do you have capacity to grow?
   If you do, consider one small addition that reaches an audience you’re currently missing.
3. Is it working, but exhausting you?
   If you’re drowning to maintain it, something needs to change—working smarter matters.

This framework helps you decide whether to refine, add, or replace parts of your strategy without burning everything down.

Key Takeaways

• Don’t abandon what works just because something new appears
• Don’t rely on one channel if it leaves you vulnerable
• Be intentional about your marketing mix—not reactive
• Capacity is a constraint, not a strategy

Kendra closes by inviting listeners to reflect on their own “why pick one?” moment and consider how their marketing channels could work better together.

If you’ve ever felt stuck choosing between what’s familiar and what’s new, this episode offers a smarter

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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, I sit down with Danielle Hayden, founder of Kickstart Accounting, to talk about healthy business spending—and how investing in the right places can actually improve your profitability (instead of living in “cut back” mode forever).

Danielle shares her journey from hairstylist to corporate accounting to building Kickstart Accounting, and breaks down the benchmarks business owners under $500K/year can use to spend smarter and grow sustainably. We discuss:

The Truth About “You Have to Spend Money to Make Money”

• Why entrepreneurs often assume the answer is always “spend less” (and why that’s not usually the fix)
• How money stories from personal life can mess with business decisions
• What “healthy spending benchmarks” reveal about what’s normal—and what’s not

Healthy Spending Benchmarks That Support Growth

• Advertising + marketing: why you should group everything visibility-related together (including podcasts + marketing tools)
• Outside services: when hiring experts (bookkeeping, tax, attorney, VA, ops) becomes essential
• Payroll + paying yourself: why not paying yourself creates resentment (and can impact relationships at home)

Cash Flow + Systems That Keep You in Business

• Why “bill early, bill often” is a CEO-level move
• How better tools and automations can reduce chaos and stabilize cash flow
• Why relying on manual invoicing and checks keeps businesses stuck in survival mode

Profit, Growth, and the Reality of Seasons

• What it means if you’re highly profitable but exhausted (and why that’s a red flag)
• Why breaking even can be okay for a season—but not forever
• The long-term goal: building a healthy business with 10–15% profit after expenses

Biggest Marketing Lesson Learned

• “Do it anyway”: how showing up imperfectly builds confidence and momentum over time

Whether you’re trying to grow, hire support, or simply stop feeling tense every time you look at your numbers, this episode will help you rethink spending as a strategy—not a punishment. 

Connect with Danielle Hayden:

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danielle-hayden-kickstartaccounting

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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, host Kendra Corman sits down with Audrey “Tech Diva” Wiggins—an early tech adopter with deep marketing instincts—to talk about how entrepreneurs can use technology without losing the human touch. 

Audrey shares how her love of innovation started long before today’s tools, and how business owners can stay focused, credible, and authentic while navigating constant change. We discuss:

The Tech + Human Balance in Modern Marketing

• Why you should evaluate what you’re already using before chasing the “next shiny thing”
• How to keep the “human factor” front and center through messaging and real customer access
• Why customer service is still a core marketing strategy—inside companies and out

How to Avoid Getting Overwhelmed by Trends

• The “pick 1–2 things and work them hard” approach (then automate as you grow)
• Why choosing platforms you actually enjoy helps you stay consistent and authentic
• When to delegate to tech vs. when it’s time to bring in a VA or support team

A Real Transformation Example

• The “Frankenstein website” problem: patchwork sites that look old, cluttered, and confusing
• Why a modern website isn’t just prettier—it’s functional, cleaner, and improves the customer journey
• The importance of mobile-friendly design (because your clients live on their phones)

Branding Mistakes That Quietly Cost You Business

• Why using Gmail/Yahoo/AOL for a business email hurts credibility—and what to do instead
• How a clean email signature supports your brand without being “chunky” or overwhelming
• The self-promotion gap: why many entrepreneurs hesitate to post their own content (even when their audience is already engaged)

A Hard Marketing Lesson Learned

• How choosing the wrong advertising channel can waste money fast
• Why “liking the salesperson” isn’t a strategy—knowing your market and ROI is
• When advertising does make sense without ROI: “passion investments” that support causes you care about

If you’ve ever felt torn between keeping up with tech and staying authentic—or you’ve been tempted by marketing opportunities that don’t actually match your audience—this episode will give you a sharper, calmer way forward.

Connect with Audrey:
Subscribe to her weekly newsletter:  https://www.altogether.biz
Her weekly newsletter, packed with actionable marketing insights, tech trends, and resource tools designed to sharpen their skills and fuel business growth.

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Work Slop: Why AI Shortcuts Are Costing Teams More Than They Save

Ever get an email, doc, or deck from someone and instantly think, “This is… not it”? In this episode, we’re digging into the rise of work slop—the vague, messy, low-quality output that shows up when AI is used as a replacement for thinking instead of a tool for support.

Kendra sits down with Sue Justice, founder of Emory HR, to talk about why this isn’t just an AI problem—it’s a performance, communication, and leadership problem that businesses can’t afford to ignore. 

We explore:

What “Work Slop” Is (and Why It’s Growing)

• How AI-generated work becomes unclear, incorrect, or incomplete
• Why “slapping something together” shifts work to the next person
• The difference between using AI as an assistant vs. letting it do the job 

This Isn’t a Tool Issue—It’s a Behavior Issue

• How people have always “phoned it in,” but AI makes it faster and more visible
• Why audiences and teammates can sense when work lacks human touch
• The real question leaders must ask: workload problem or character problem?

What Leaders Should Do About It

• When to coach and when to treat it as a performance issue
• Why a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP) matters before cutting ties

How industry risk, trust, and legal exposure shape your response 

Where AI Helps—and Where It Shouldn’t Lead

• Using AI for brainstorming or templates vs. high-stakes decisions
• Why contracts and policies need human tone, context, and accountability
• The risk of letting AI output become “authority” without review 

Sue’s Biggest Marketing Lesson

• Why business owners shouldn’t try to do everything themselves
• How doing the wrong work wastes more time than it saves
• The sustainability link between delegation and quality 

Whether you’re leading a team, outsourcing work, or using AI in your own business, this episode is a clear reminder: AI can save time, but only if humans own the standard. If the quality drops, the cost doesn’t disappear—it just lands on someone else. 

“AI is meant to be an assistant… not the end-all ‘I’ll do it for you’ solution.” – Sue Justice 

00:00:00
 Introduction to Sue Justice and why HR belongs in this conversation
 00:02:06
 What “work slop” is and how it shows up at work
 00:03:39
 Why AI misuse is really a people/performance issue
 00:06:53
 Skill gap vs. character flaw: how to tell the difference
 00:09:57
 When work slop becomes a firing-level problem
 00:13:05
 Transparency, AI policies, and setting clear standards
 00:19:01
 AI adoption is everywhere—whether companies admit it or not
 00:23:04
 Sue’s biggest marketing lesson as a business owner

Connect with Sue Justice:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/susanajustice/

Website: https://emeryhr.com/

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In this New Year’s episode, Kendra Corman gets candid about why she’s heading into 2026 tired, excited… and fiercely committed to one word: no. After a 2025 defined by “forge” (building, growing, expanding), a family crisis and an overload of opportunities forced her to re-evaluate sustainability, boundaries, and what it really takes to preserve creative focus.

Kendra shares the behind-the-scenes story of her year—what went right, what went sideways, and why the systems and people you build now are what save you later.

What 2025 Taught Kendra About Growth and Overload

Kendra went into 2025 with momentum, capacity, and big goals—and hit them hard.

• A strong first quarter with focused, energized work time
• A goal of 25 speaking gigs that turned into 35+ events
• Movement on major business projects, including a second edition of her book
• A huge personal “yes”: becoming a full-time assistant professor at Rochester Christian University

The Moment Everything Changed

A serious fall and ICU stay for Kendra’s mom pulled her into months of caretaking and travel.

What stood out most wasn’t just the disruption—it was the proof that what she’d built actually held up:

• Her assistant (Carol) triaged inboxes, managed tasks, and kept clients supported
• Systems like Asana and strong relationships prevented a total business collapse
• The experience reinforced how vital support structures are—even for solopreneurs

Kendra realized: capacity isn’t just about time. It’s about what you’ve built to hold you when life happens.

When “Forge” Turned into “Fracture”

Even with major wins, Kendra stretched too far.

• Weeks with multiple speaking events, including one with four in a single week
• Drift from a 4–5 day workweek back to 7 days
• Feeling like she was working constantly but not moving forward
• Book revisions stalled, and recovery time evaporated

The truth she landed on: success without boundaries becomes burnout in disguise.

Why “No” Is Her Word of the Year (Again)

Kendra revisits a tool that once helped her escape burnout in 2022: saying no first.

So in 2026, “no” is back as the guardrail.

Her challenge to listeners:

• Block vacations now
• Protect pre- and post-travel buffers
• Put the important stuff on the calendar before it gets crowded out

Key Takeaways

• Systems and support are what keep your business stable when life interrupts.
• Saying yes is exciting—but on

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Why Vanity Metrics Are So Tempting

Clicks, impressions, and giant top-line numbers feel good—and they’re easy to measure. Anthony explains that brands and agencies often lean on these because they make progress look “sexy” in a deck, even when they don’t connect to business outcomes.

The Metrics That Actually Matter

Kendra presses on what marketers should track instead. Anthony breaks it down by funnel stage and business model:

For B2B and lead-gen teams:

• Lead volume and lead quality
• Conversion behavior after the click (time on site, page depth, engagement paths)
• Feeding those quality signals back into ad algorithms

For e-commerce:

• Revenue per campaign
• Cost per acquisition (CPA) vs. customer lifetime value (LTV)
• Target CPA thresholds to ensure profitability

Anthony’s bottom line:
The two most important metrics are CPA and LTV—and every other KPI should support them.

When Algorithms Work Against You

A huge chunk of the episode is about how campaigns go sideways when the wrong signals are optimized. If you optimize for clicks, the algorithm finds more clickers—not buyers.

They dig into how metrics aren’t bad—they’re just often misused.

Examples Anthony gives:

• ROAS is critical for shopping/e-commerce conversion campaigns.
• Video view-through rate matters for awareness campaigns, since the goal is warm-audience building.
• Target impression share is valuable in branded search as a defensive move, ensuring competitors don’t steal your brand traffic. 
  
  

Competitor Bidding: Old Advice vs. Now

Kendra asks about the old-school thinking that bidding on competitor names doesn’t work. Anthony clarifies the difference between:

• Branded defense campaigns (protecting your own name)
• Competitor conquesting campaigns (showing up as an alternative in a buyer’s search)

He argues conquesting can be effective because you only pay on clicks, yet still gain impression value and market-share opportunities.

Balancing Short-Term Pressure with Long-Term Growth

B2B cycles are long, and clients want fast wins. Anthony recommends a full-funnel budget split:

• Some spend for the 1% ready to buy now (lower funnel)
• Significant investment to warm the other 99% (awareness + consideration)

Biggest Lesson Learned: Simplicity Scales

Anthony closes with his core marketing takeaway:
 The best campaigns aren’t the busiest—they’re the clearest.
When you focus on the right audience, the right offer, and the right KPIs, everything improves: creative, reporting, and results that compound over time. 

If you want to connect with Anthony or learn more about Volo Media, check out the links below.  And if you’ve ever been sold a pretty dashboard full of meaningless numbers… this one’s for you. 

Connect with Anthony:

Website: https://www.vallomedia.com/

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

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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, I sit down with Aurora Winter—media coach, author, and neuroscience-driven marketing expert—to explore how the brain actually processes messages and why that matters for selling, storytelling, and authority-building. Aurora shares how a neuroscience-focused MBA in Italy shaped her work helping entrepreneurs craft clear, compelling messages that turn words into wealth.

We discuss:

The Neuroscience Behind Messaging

• The brain’s 3-part filter: croc brain (hook), midbrain (status/social proof), cerebral cortex (content)
•  Why most marketers skip the midbrain step—and lose trust fast
•  How attention is expensive, so your message needs to re-earn focus every few minutes

Progress Over Perfection in Marketing

• Why waiting until you’re “ready” keeps you stuck
•  How real market feedback beats imagined feedback every time
•  The power of launching messy and refining as you go

Skin in the Game Marketing

• Why totally free offers often get ignored
•  How even a small payment creates commitment and consistency
•  Aurora’s “free book + small shipping cost” test that generated $250K in 90 days

Books as Business Growth Tools

• Why being an author instantly boosts perceived status
•  The surprising truth: best-selling authors earn most revenue from back-end offers, not book sales
•  How a book opens doors to speaking, consulting, coaching, and training

Storytelling That Sticks (and Converts)

• Why humans are wired to learn and survive through stories
•  Aurora’s “Hell to Heaven” story blueprint for simple, high-impact marketing
•  How stories help handle objections without pushing or over-explaining

Aurora’s Biggest Marketing Lesson

• Why a strong YES requires a strong NO
•  The importance of choosing ideal clients you can confidently help get a 10x return
•  Letting go of energy-drainers and misaligned opportunities to protect your business

Connect with Aurora Winter:

1. Gift for Your Audience - Includes your Turn Words-to-Wealth starter library and a video masterclass on how to attract capital, clients, and media coverage.: https://turnwordsintowealth.com
2. Aurora Winter Website: https://www.aurorawinter.com
3. Same Page Publishing: https://www.samepagepublishing.com
4. Marketing Fastrack: The Little Book That Launched a New Business by Aurora Winter- on Amazon: https://a.co/d/8xrIglK
5. Turn Words Into Wealth: Blueprint for Your Business, Brand and Book by Aurora Winter - on Amazon: https://a.co/d/7RRkVYb
6. Magic, Mystery, and the Multiverse Book 1 Amazon: https://a.co/d/5cmA6Um
7. LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/AuroraWinter
8. YouTube: https://www.y

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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, I sit down with Joshua Thompson, a local SEO specialist with more than a decade of experience helping businesses show up where it matters most: in Google’s local search results and Google Maps.

We dive deep into why local SEO is evolving faster than ever, how AI is changing search behaviors, and what businesses should actually focus on instead of chasing shortcuts.

From Accidental Marketer to Local SEO Expert

Josh shares his unique path—from building websites for financial leads to helping friends and family rank locally to eventually building and selling his own company. His entrepreneurial background shaped the customer-first, no-gimmicks SEO approach he uses today.

Understanding Local SEO vs. Traditional SEO

Josh breaks down what makes local SEO its own ecosystem:

How Local SEO Differs

• Google Maps and the Local Pack often matter more than organic rankings
• Local SEO relies heavily on trust signals (reviews, name-address-phone consistency, location data)
• Traditional SEO leans more on authority signals (backlinks, content depth)

What Actually Matters for Local SEO

• Reviews—the biggest local ranking driver
• Accurate listings (especially high-impact ones like Google, Yelp, Bing)
• Customer engagement signals
• Building trust through consistent information

Josh emphasizes that directory listings aren’t about gaming Google—they’re about confirming your legitimacy.

Cutting Through the Noise: AI, Voice Search & “Gaming the System”

We tackle the recent buzz (and myths) about AI influencing search:

AI “Hacks” & Gimmicks

Josh calls out trends like having “AI parties” in ChatGPT to influence rankings—explaining why tactics like these don’t create real, lasting visibility.

AI Search Is Still Search

• AI tools still rely heavily on Google’s results
• If you show up in Google, you’ll show up in AI responses
• The fundamentals haven’t changed: content + trust + authority still win

Voice Search Déjà Vu

Josh compares today’s AI panic to the voice-search hype a decade ago—reminding us the sky didn’t fall, and SEO fundamentals remained the same.

The Rise of No-Click Searches & What It Means for Businesses

Local businesses are seeing:

• More direct calls from Google Business Profiles
• Fewer website visits
• Greater reliance on reviews and verified info

Josh explains why this is good news, especially for service-based businesses where customers want immediate answers—not long website visits.

Preparing for What’s Next

Josh’s advice for staying ahead is refreshingly simple:

• Stick to fundamentals: content, relevance, authority, and trust
• Optimize your Google Business Profile: reviews, photos, accuracy
• Build momentum: keep improving in one direction instead of chasing every new trend
• Avoid shortcuts: they cost more time than they save

As he puts it: “You don't get time back while you’re searching for shortcuts.”

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In this episode of Imperfect Marketing, host Kendra Corman dives into a common challenge many businesses face—getting people to actually register for events. From galas to webinars, it’s easy to assume that a few social posts will do the trick. But as Kendra reveals, likes don’t equal registrations, and engagement doesn’t always lead to action.

She shares a real-life client story that sparked this conversation—one where a business expected 150 signups but only had three, just two weeks before the event. Through this story, Kendra breaks down what went wrong and how to fix it.

The Problem with Relying on Social Media

• Why social engagement doesn’t translate to registrations
• How algorithms limit visibility even when people “love” your brand
• The danger of assuming that posting equals inviting

The Power of Direct Communication

• Why email marketing still delivers the highest ROI
• The unmatched impact of showing up in someone’s inbox
• How physical invitations can cut through the noise of the digital world
• Why you own your email list, but not your social audience

Creating an Effective Event Promotion Strategy

• How to balance social, email, and direct mail for maximum impact
• The importance of storytelling and multiple touchpoints
• Why you should think of event promotion as relationship building, not just announcement making
• How to plan and audit your 2026 event communications strategy

Key Takeaways for Marketers

• Stop treating social media as your main event driver—it’s a support channel
• Use email to reach your audience where they actually take action
• Craft a holistic plan that combines storytelling, repetition, and relevance

Whether you’re planning your next gala, golf outing, or webinar, this episode is a wake-up call to rethink your promotional approach.
 Are you ready to turn your next event from under-attended to unforgettable?
 Tune in to learn how to create a strategy that connects—and converts. 

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