The end of the summer means saying goodbye to the slower flow of Portuguese life… and returning to the go-go-go hustle of Toronto. While Phil and I spend every summer in Portugal, this one hit a little different as we’re now working on building Grind Social as a team. 

In this episode of Marketing Sucks, we share some of the biggest business, marketing, and life lessons we’ve learned while living and working together abroad (and how they’ve changed our life in Canada). Tune in to learn how we evolve our business to fit a different way of living each year, why GoDaddy isn’t making any money in Portugal, and how to start marketing like a European.

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• Why you can’t get attached to a schedule in Portugal (and why it’s a good thing)
• Why it’s okay to start saying no to urgency culture 
• How to start manifesting the European version of YOU

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Intro

01:57  Portuguese way of life

03:08  Slower culture

05:06  Detaching from scheduling

07:22  Focus on PEOPLE, not jobs

10:13  Marketing like a European

14:36  Work-life balance

18:35  Urgency culture

21:30  The European you

24:25  Outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

Success is a stroll, not a sprint. When it comes to building your biz, smart habits matter WAY more than hustle. So forget the 24/7 grind and doing it all — making just a few right moves every day will help you scale sustainably,  

In this super-actionable episode of Marketing Sucks, Phil and I dig into the 6 daily habits (not hacks!) that will help you stay on track with your strategy, build the muscle for success, and give your marketing some REAL momentum, so you can move the needle over time without totally burning out. Tune in to create a killer marketing habit stack that helps you get the right sh*t done!

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• The difference between being consistent and being disciplined
• How to build a killer content idea library with a few simple clicks
• How to make your marketing ‘stuck-proof’ in just minutes a day

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:11  Intro 

01:59  Discipline v. consistency

03:19  Building the RIGHT habits

06:51  Content check-in 

08:50  Engagement

09:55  Creating every day

12:46  Rating your CTAs

14:50  Marketing to your list

17:00  Why we hate habits (& do them anyway)

21:06  Building lists

23:13  Action item

25:43  Outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

Stop making your marketing harder than it has to be! In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Phil and I reveal the top 5 marketing mistakes you’re probably making right now — and how to stop driving yourself crazy struggling to do it ALL. 

Listen in as we break down the most crucial do’s and don’ts of showing up online, reveal the #1 easiest way to boost your conversions, and give you our official permission to stop posting on every single platform. This is a must-listen episode for new and seasoned biz owners, so don’t miss it!

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• Why the hottest new app may be useless for your biz (and how to figure it out)
• Why repurposing content is more complicated than you think 
• What you absolutely need to have in place BEFORE posting

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:11  Intro

02:08  Trying to be everywhere 

05:29  Repurpose or not?

06:25  Dominating your platform

08:16  Having a strategy

10:53  Ignoring your list

13:28  Selling without solving 

16:44  Time crunch

18:40  Chasing perfection

23:20  Recap

24:14  Action items & outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

If you’ve been struggling to stay motivated with your marketing as the temperatures rise and your DMs dry up, we’ve got you covered. In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Phil and I dive into the dreaded summer slump — and how to turn your slow AF summer into a strategy lab that helps you CRUSH IT in the fall!

Tune in as we talk about why summer slumps happen, why you should never take them personally, our five biggest tips for staying motivated, and why you should reframe summer as a set-up season, rather than a slow season. 

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• How to proactively prep for a slump so your finances stay balanced
• How to WORK a slow season instead of resisting it, so you can get your best results yet
• 3 crazy-effective things to do in your biz this summer (instead of panicking)

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Intro

02:16  Why summer slumps happen

03:34  It’s not YOU

06:55  Work the slow season

08:02  Audit what’s working (or not)

10:10  Update your offers & pricing

11:15  Prep your fall campaign

14:32  Remember your WHY

18:31  Set mini-goals

19:10  Find an accountability buddy

21:30  Create before you scroll

23:08  Romanticize

25:54  Action item & outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

When it comes to brand storytelling, your About page is just the first step. Your story should guide your marketing strategy and the way you show up for your audience - and a killer story can help you build connection, trust, and an engaged community that wants to work with you!

As Senior Creative Director at global children's entertainment company Spin Master, Philip Ginther has helped shape the stories of big-name brands such as Paw Patrol and Rubik’s Cube. In this episode of Marketing Sucks, I sit down with Phil to tackle some of the biggest FAQs around copywriting for brands. 

Tune in to learn Phil’s top tips for easy, consistent brand storytelling that connects, including a simple celeb-themed writing exercise that’ll help you master the tone of your brand voice without overthinking it!

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• Easy ways to weave your story into your marketing without making it about selling
• How to lean into your brand’s pillars and avoid stepping out of your lane 
• The secret to turning user-generated content into marketing GOLD!
• The brands that are CRUSHING it right now (and what you can learn from them)

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest bio: Phil Ginther is a Creative Director & Copywriter with over 14 years experience. He’s currently a Senior Creative Director at Spin Master leading global brands such as Rubik’s Cube and Hatchimals, and spends most of his day at play.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Meet Phil Ginther

01:32  Phil’s business journey

03:15  Leaving the daily grind

05:22  Joining Spin Master

08:11  Know thyself & thy lane

10:23  Weaving story into marketing

13:29: UGC, Red Bull & Liquid Death

17:10  Brand voice exercise

22:09  Your action item

25:04  Quick-fire questions

26:06  Headphone story & outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

We’re flipping the script! This episode of Marketing Sucks is a collab with the Love Saranghae Podcast. Hosts Peter Lee and Andrea Mourad have Phil and I in the hot seats, and we keep it R-E-A-L while discussing marriage, business, and what can happen when you mix the two. 

During this conversation, Phil and I share what it’s really like to grow a successful brand with your spouse on your own terms. Tune in as we dig into the nitty-gritty of balancing ambition with freedom, building a life and business that supports our love of travel, and why you need to let yourself feel the fear when faced with bold choices (and then make them anyway). We also get into our day-to-day experiences of working from Portugal each summer and why this annual trip became a non-negotiable family goal.

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• The 9-month plan that shaped our decision-making leading up to our first summer abroad
• How to train your clients to manage their expectations while you’re traveling 
• How to set smart boundaries that protect your relationship (in and out of the office)

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest host bios: Andrea Mourad and Peter Lee are the co-founders of two award-winning Korean skincare companies: Saranghae Skincare and Orora Skin Science. Partners in life and business together, they are on a mission to share their journey through the exciting world of entrepreneurship, relationships, and the secrets behind achieving that coveted healthy glow.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:11  Intro

01:11  Meet us!

03:09  Why summer in Portugal?

07:30  Triggering moment

10:16  Feel the fear, do it anyway

12:31  9-month plan

16:35  Summer workdays 

21:27  Conscious trade-offs

25:04  Working together

33:32  Finding your brand voice

41:42  Living life on your terms

42:37  Outro

Links mentioned:‌ ‌

Love Saranghae

lovesaranghae.com

lovesaranghae.com/pages/lovesaranghae-podcast-with-peter-and-andrea

Facebook: facebook.com/lovesaranghaeskin

YouTube: youtube.com/lovesaranghaeskin

Instagram: @lovesaranghaeskin

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

Big news! Marketing Sucks now has a co-host: my husband and new podcasting partner-in-crime, Philip Ginther. He’s also the new VP of Marketing at Grind Social! A little about Phil: he’s an award-winning creative director, expert brand storyteller, and copywriter with over 15 years of experience. As the former Senior Creative Director at Spin Master, he led massive brands including Rubik’s Cube, Paw Patrol, and Hatchimals. 

I’m super stoked to have Phil on board to share his insights and experience working with agencies, entrepreneurs, and big corporation machines. During this conversation, we talk about why he decided to ditch the corporate life, how managed chaos can keep workdays exciting, and what it’s like to work with me (yep, he answers honestly)! 

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• The differences between agency life and corporate life (and the big perks of going small) 
• What I’ve taught Phil about entrepreneurship — the good, the bad, and the vulnerable
• Our thoughts and ideas about the future of Marketing Sucks 

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:11  Intro

03:00  All about Phil

04:30  Joining Grind Social

06:57  Shifting to agency life

11:10  Entrepreneurship lessons

13:46  Phil’s pod goals

15:14  Bloated decks

16:50  Outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

Thinking about taking the plunge into paid ads? Wondering why your current campaign is falling flat? I got you. In this episode of Marketing Sucks, I sit down with Alvaro Berrios, founder of the digital marketing agency Alvaro Berrios Digital. As a leading expert in ad management, Alvaro helps his clients get mucho bang for their ad spend bucks. 

Tune in as we discuss ALL things paid ads — when to use them, how much to pay for them, how to know when you’re ready for your first campaign, and how to avoid unethical ad agencies. Along the way, Alvaro shares his wild trial-by-fire intro to the world of Google and Facebook Ads, his #1 piece of advice for setting the budget of your first ad run, and why he turns away a TON of potential customers. This conversation is a value-packed paid ads primer that ALL business owners can learn from — don’t miss it!

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• How to know when you’re ready for paid ads — and two things to have in place FIRST 
• The key components of a successful campaign (and the metrics you’ll want to track!)
• Your best-bet paid ads platform as a service-based business 

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest bio: Alvaro Berrios is the founder of Alvaro Berrios Digital, a leading digital marketing agency. He's an expert in ad management across major platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google, and YouTube. Alvaro excels at creating strategies that boost audience engagement and drive sales.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Intro

01:00  Meet Alvaro Berrios

02:05  Alvaro’s intro to ads

06:19  Prepping for paid ads

09:42  Start slow & set a budget

12:39  The right platform & mindset

16:17  Ethics in marketing

18:57  Successful campaign components

24:08  Boosting v. actual ads

28:10  When to hire an ads manager

31:31  Unethical agencies

32:58  Ad trends

37:16  Lay the foundation

Links mentioned:‌ ‌

Alvaro Berrios

alvaroberrios.com/facebook-ads-rapid-launch

Instagram: @imalvaroberrios 

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCSmui7YHlQ0PepO1Y61s_QA

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

There’s a TON of confusion about SEO right now. If you’re wondering what even works these days (or are just taking your first steps) this episode of Marketing Sucks is for you. I’m joined by fabulous SEO and content expert Adrienne Kmetz to explore what SEO actually means, bust some major myths, and outline the path to your highest ROI! 

Tune in as we dig into the REAL nitty-gritty of modern search engine optimization — how to choose and create your niche pillars, what to benchmark and build before investing in paid media, and how to grow organic traffic without spending the whole damn month writing content. No fluff or super-techy jargon, just accessible GOLD. 

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• How to get started (and set your expectations) 
• The role that marketing foundations play in a successful SEO strategy
• The key metrics that you should be tracking as a business owner

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest bio: Adrienne Kmetz is a 20-year marketer with a love for content and SEO. She partners with marketing leaders to help them add structure and scale to their operations. She spends most of her time offline though, in the Colorado mountains where she lives with her two dogs.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Meet Adrienne Kmetz

02:21  Adrienne’s story 

06:50  What is SEO?

10:43  How to get started

13:02  Growing organic traffic 

17:20  Marketing foundations & customer delight

24:00  Pillars & core pages 

26:28  Organic funnels & paid media

28:05  Hair extension story

31:44  Content is queen 

34:36  Key metrics to track

37:53  Investing in paid media 

42:10  Your action item

43:35  Outro

Links mentioned:‌ ‌

Adrienne Kmetz

adriennekmetz.com 

linkedin.com/in/adriennekmetz 

Delight Your Customers: 7 Simple Ways to Raise Your Customer Service from Ordinary to Extraordinary by Steve Curtin

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency

Neuro-spicy business owners thrive when they figure out how to work WITH their brains instead of against them — no matter what everyone else is doing. In this episode of Marketing Sucks, I chat with advocate and educator Erin Tee, who champions neurodiversity in education and beyond as the owner and creative producer of the Endless Films Collective, a much-needed platform for storytelling and learning that centres neurodivergent voices. 

Erin shares how uncovering her kid’s neurodiversity helped her realize her own… and led her to build her brilliant biz. We get REAL about the experience of neurodivergent entrepreneurship and spill some practical tips for both ND and NT biz owners. Tune in as we chat about tapping into your energetic productivity schedule, why sometimes procrastination is actually a power move (so go ahead and watch some Vanderpump Rules), and how to respect different learning styles.

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• How to rebuild and recharge your capacity when you start to feel overwhelmed  
• How to create a truly inclusive, human-first business (and the hidden things you need to consider)
• How to understand and accommodate neurodivergent communication

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest bio: Erin Tee is the owner and creative producer of Endless Films Collective, a multidisciplinary hub for media and education. Combining her 20+ years of experience in media production with her expertise in neurodiversity, Erin has transformed the Collective into a space where impactful visual media and neurodiversity-affirming education intersect. The Endless Films Collective creates innovative, inclusive, and meaningful content, specializing in visual communication and educational solutions for diverse clients.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12  Meet Erin Tee

02:42  Erin’s story

07:15  The Power of Neurodiversity

10:41  Procrastination & timing 

15:43  Productivity & energy 

23:22  Inclusivity in business 

26:48  Communication & time management

32:20  Learning styles

36:24  Human first

40:52  Captions & connection

45:47  Outro 

Links mentioned:‌ ‌

Erin Tee

erintee.com 

Instagram: @erinktee 

The Power of Neurodiversity: Unleashing the Advantages of Your Differently Wired Brain by Thomas Armstrong, PhD

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📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

Show notes: copymagic.agency