In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm getting personal and talking about something most people who follow me probably don't know about me.

I have a Bachelor of Journalism and a Bachelor of Communication and Media (majoring in Digital Media) from the University of Wollongong, and I almost never talk about it.

Why? Because when I think about the career and businesses I've built, the degrees are honestly pretty far down the list of what got me here.

Six years on from finishing a four-and-a-half year double degree, I finally have the hindsight to give you my honest take — what university gave me, what it didn't, and whether I think you actually need a degree to build a successful business or marketing career in 2024.

Spoiler: you don't.

In this episode I share:

• Why I chose journalism and communications and what I actually thought I'd be doing with my life
• What my double degree genuinely gave me (and where it fell completely flat)
• Why social media and marketing degrees are almost always outdated before you even graduate
• The real skills that matter in business and why none of them are taught in a lecture theatre
• What I'd invest in instead of a university degree if I was starting again
• Why lived experience and real-world experimentation will always outpace a certification
• What I'd say to an 18-year-old leaving school, someone mid-degree questioning whether to finish, and an established business owner who feels like they're missing something because they didn't study

Whether you're considering university, mid-degree, or years into running your own business without a formal qualification — this one's for you. Your results are your qualification and no piece of paper is going to change that.

🎧 Make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss upcoming episodes.📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

Why does creating content feel effortless for some business owners… while others spend hours overthinking every post?

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm joined by fitness coach, online entrepreneur, and podcast host Jess Hugo for an honest conversation about content creation, personal branding, consistency, and what it really takes to build a business online.

Jess shares how she built a successful coaching business by simply being herself online, why content has always come naturally to her, and how staying in your own lane is often the biggest competitive advantage you can have. We also talk about why comparison is one of the fastest ways to kill creativity, the importance of having an opinion, and why trying to copy other creators will only hold your business back.

Beyond marketing, we dive into the realities of building a business while maintaining your health, navigating weight gain in relationships, creating sustainable habits, and why your personal experiences can become some of your most valuable content. Because the stories you've lived are often the ones your audience needs to hear the most.

If you're a service-based business owner, coach, or entrepreneur who's struggling with content ideas, consistency, showing up confidently online, or finding your own voice, this episode will remind you that great content isn't about having the best camera, the perfect strategy, or following every trend.

It's about building a personal brand people genuinely connect with. When you're clear on who you are, what you stand for, and who you want to help, content becomes a whole lot easier.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

And if you love her vibe, follow Jess here: @itsjesshugo

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm sharing a story time that turned into one of the most frustrating (and eye-opening) business lessons I've had in a while. If you've been following the Casa Sociale podcast studio build on Instagram, you'll know it's still not open. And the reason? Curtains. Specifically, curtains that arrived incomplete, and a customer service experience that has been a masterclass in exactly what not to do.

Over the past few weeks, I've been chasing a company for missing curtain tracks, following up more times than I can count, and receiving a completely different story every time they've bothered to respond. The curtains arriving incorrectly? I can live with that, mistakes happen. But the lack of proactive communication, the silence, and their inconsistency is what's cost them my trust and my future business.

In this episode I break down the real lesson behind the curtain debacle: why proactive client communication is one of the most important (and underrated) parts of running a successful service-based business, and what happens to your reputation, your client relationships, and your revenue when you get it wrong.

We cover:

• Why the mistake is rarely the problem, but how you handle it is everything
• The difference between proactive and reactive communication, and what it costs you to be on the wrong side of it

• Why one bad client experience will always travel further than 10 good ones
• Simple, practical ways to build proactive communication into your client experience starting now

Whether you're a coach, service provider, or small business owner, this episode is your reminder that a little communication, given early, prevents a lot of damage control later.

🎧 Make sure you're following the podcast so you don't miss upcoming episodes.
📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

If you want to see what I'm building at Casa Sociale, click here.

Are you tracking the right marketing metrics... or just the easiest ones to see?

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm breaking down the metrics that actually matter in your business, how to know whether your marketing is working, and what data you should stop obsessing over.

Because while likes, followers, views, reach, and impressions might feel exciting, they don't necessarily tell you whether your business is growing or whether your marketing strategy is driving inquiries, leads, and sales.

In this episode, we dive into the difference between vanity metrics, visibility metrics, and conversion metrics, and how each one plays a role in understanding your marketing performance. I walk through the numbers service-based business owners should actually be paying attention to, including profile visits, website clicks, inquiry rates, close rates, email open rates, and the metrics that indicate whether someone is moving through your sales funnel.

We also talk about how to identify where your marketing funnel is breaking down, how to audit your content and customer journey properly, and why tracking the right data makes it significantly easier to improve your marketing, sales process, and overall business growth.

If you're a service-based business owner, coach, consultant, creative, or online entrepreneur who feels like you're posting consistently but still doesn't know what's working and what isn't, this episode will help you make decisions based on data instead of assumptions.

Good marketing isn't about chasing vanity metrics.

It's about understanding the numbers that actually move your business forward.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

If your entire marketing strategy lives on Instagram, this episode is for you.

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm breaking down what a marketing ecosystem actually is, why it matters, and how to build one that supports long-term business growth.

Because the reality is, social media is just one piece of the puzzle.

Too many business owners are relying on Instagram, TikTok, or another single platform to do all the heavy lifting when it comes to attracting leads, building trust, and generating sales. The problem? If your marketing only exists in one place, you're constantly starting from scratch and relying on an algorithm you don't control.

In this episode, I walk through what a marketing ecosystem looks like, how different platforms play different roles in the customer journey, and why combining social media, email marketing, podcasts, YouTube, blogs, or other long-form content can create a far more sustainable and effective marketing strategy.

We also dive into lead magnets, email lists, content repurposing, audience trust, SEO, long-form content, and how to create a marketing system that continues working even when you're not posting every day.

If you're a service-based business owner, coach, consultant, or creative who wants more leads, inquiries, and sales without feeling chained to social media, this episode will help you rethink the way you approach your marketing, because marketing isn't just social media.

Social media is just one channel within a much bigger ecosystem, and the businesses that grow sustainably are the ones building assets they actually own.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

Are you posting consistently but still not getting inquiries, leads, or sales?

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I'm breaking down one of the biggest mistakes I see service-based business owners make with their content strategy: confusing reach content with conversion content.

More content is often not the answer.

A lot of business owners are creating content that gets attention, reaches new audiences, and grows followers… but they're forgetting to create the content that actually builds trust, nurtures their audience, and leads to conversions.

In this episode, I explain:

• the difference between top-of-funnel, middle-of-funnel, and bottom-of-funnel content
• why your content mix matters more than your posting frequency
• and how to identify whether your content is designed to generate reach or generate sales.

We also dive into the different roles of reels, carousels, face-to-camera content, stories, and long-form content within your marketing strategy.

If you're a service-based business owner, coach, creative, or online entrepreneur who feels like you're putting effort into content without seeing results, this episode will help you understand exactly where the gap is and how to fix it.

I also share a simple content audit you can do on your last 12 posts, how to repurpose your best-performing content without starting from scratch, and why repeating yourself is often the key to building trust and moving people through your content funnel.

Great marketing is about more than just reaching more people, it's about creating content that does the job you actually need it to do.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

When should you actually start running ads in your business?

And why do so many business owners feel like Facebook, Instagram, or Google ads “don’t work”?

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I’m joined by ads specialist Marz Yaghmai to break down the biggest mistakes business owners make when it comes to paid advertising, marketing strategy, and growing a service-based business online.

We dive into:

• why ads are not a magic fix for a weak business strategy
• the difference between vanity metrics vs real marketing results
• when businesses should (and shouldn’t) start using ads
• how to know if your business is actually ready for paid advertising
• why social media marketing and sales are NOT the same thing
• the role of brand awareness, trust, and positioning in conversions
• and how to get started with ads the right way

Throughout the episode, we dive into Meta ads, Google ads, warm audiences, retargeting, lead magnets, email lists, beginner ad budgets, and why consistency and patience matter so much when it comes to marketing and long-term business growth.

If you’re a service-based business owner, coach, or creative wanting to better understand how paid advertising actually works — or why your marketing isn’t converting — this episode will give you a much more realistic and strategic perspective on ads and business growth.

Because good marketing isn’t about throwing money at ads and hoping for sales.

It’s about building a brand, understanding your audience, and creating a strategy that actually supports long-term growth.

🤳🏼 You can follow Marz here: @marketingatmarz

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.
📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

How vulnerable should you actually be online?

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I’m talking about vulnerability in marketing, personal branding, and the difference between authentic storytelling vs unresolved oversharing online.

Because while the online space constantly tells us to:

• “be more vulnerable”
• “share the hard moments”
• “show the messy middle”

I think there’s a much more strategic and healthy way to approach personal content.

In this episode, I break down the difference between vulnerability and oversharing online, why honest content often performs the best, and how to share personal stories in a way that builds trust without losing authority.

I also talk about the importance of processing experiences before turning them into content, and why unresolved vulnerability can sometimes do more harm than good for your personal brand and positioning.

We also dive into authentic marketing, storytelling in content creation, building trust online, and how to balance human connection with leadership in your content. Because being “real” online doesn’t mean sharing every breakdown in real time.

If you’re a service-based business owner, coach, creative, or online entrepreneur trying to build a personal brand while navigating how much of your life to share online, this episode will change the way you think about vulnerability in your marketing.

Because sometimes the most valuable content comes from processing the lesson first… and sharing the perspective second.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

If your content feels generic, inconsistent, or like it’s not converting… there’s a good chance you don’t actually know who you’re speaking to.

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, I’m breaking down one of the most important foundations of good marketing: Your ideal client.

Because the reality is, if you’re trying to speak to everyone, you’re speaking to no one.

And most business owners are focusing too heavily on demographics — age, gender, location — instead of understanding the deeper psychographics that actually drive buying decisions.

In this episode, I cover:

• How to identify your ideal client properly
• The difference between demographics vs psychographics
• The questions you need to answer to create better marketing
• Why understanding your audience changes everything
• How to create content that actually connects and converts
• The biggest mistakes business owners make with ideal client messaging
• Why your ideal client will evolve as your business grows

We also dive into:

• pain points vs desires
• limiting beliefs
• fears, goals, and behaviours
• how your ideal client thinks day-to-day
• and how to use all of that in your content marketing strategy

If you’re a service-based business owner, coach, or creative, struggling with messaging, content, or attracting the right clients, this episode will help you create clearer marketing, stronger positioning, and content that feels far more intentional.

Good marketing isn’t about posting more, it’s about understanding the person you’re speaking to.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia

If you’ve ever said “I don’t know what to post”… this episode is for you.

In this episode of Marketing Unfiltered, we’re breaking down one of the most common excuses in service-based business owners's vocab — not having content ideas — and why it’s actually the wrong problem to be focusing on.

Because the truth is:

• You don’t have a content problem.
• You’re choosing small, surface-level problems instead of bigger ones.

In this episode I'm covering:

• Why “I don’t know what to post” isn’t your real problem
• How overthinking and perfectionism are keeping you stuck
• Why content should be the easiest part of your marketing
• How to come up with content ideas as a service-based business owner
• The difference between surface-level content vs deeper, high-value content
• Why posting more actually makes content creation easier
• How to build confidence and clarity through taking action

If you’re a service-based business owner, a coach or online entrepreneur struggling with content ideas, consistency, or creativity this episode will change your perspective.

Because the reality is you're not stuck, you're just thinking too small.

🎧 Make sure you’re following the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes.

📲 LETS CONNECT — ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠click to find me on IG, TikTok and see ways to work together: https://msha.ke/hotmessmedia