Sidetrekked

We’re back! In the season 3 premiere episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne discuss what we learned during our first year of podcasting (1:48). They discuss the work involved in getting a podcast off the ground, and they welcome Sidetrekked producer Nick Grobe to discuss the process of prepping and recording each episode (9:10). They also touch on the decision to incorporate video, some best practices we’ve established for recording, and how to know if a podcast is right for your company (23:00). In Problem Solved, Emilee and Shayne welcome Trekk Social Media Strategist Sean Burke to discuss how we distribute the podcast (35:00). Finally, Sean sticks around for Mics At the Bar where Trekk Chief Creative Officer Michael Wilson has some fun questions for Sean about the social media landscape.

In the season 2 finale of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk CEO Laura Bennett to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Trekk — and to discuss some very exciting changes to Trekk ownership beginning in 2026. They discuss how and when Trekk was founded (2:00), how the company evolved over the years (8:30), the changes in the marketing landscape and how those changes have impacted Trekk culture (20:08), and what makes Trekk unique compared to other agencies today. Then, they discuss Laura’s official retirement and the new roles for Emilee and Shayne starting in January, and what the future of Trekk looks like — spoiler alert, the future is very bright (28:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Shayne reminisces about a series of free workshops Trekk offered to help companies refine their brand identity (34:17).

In this special bonus episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk HubSpot Administrator Jillian Hazy to talk about the product updates and announcements that came out of INBOUND, HubSpot’s annual conference. They discuss the new Customer Agent (5:05), the transition of Operations Hub to Data Hub and the new Data Studio (15:00), and the introduction of the new Marketing Studio (19:00). They also talk about the Commerce Hub upgrades and much more (23:00).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

https://trekk.com/insights/inside-inbound-2025-what-marketers-need-to-know-about-hubspots-new-products-and-features

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne welcome Trekk Senior Account Manager Madison Brudi to discuss the importance of a marketing partner that thinks in a strategic way. They discuss what ‘strategic’ really means in today’s marketing landscape (2:56), some tell-tale signs that your marketing agency is working in a strategic fashion (7:00), and the benefits of working with an agency that prioritizes a purposeful, strategic approach (20:00). In Problem Solved, they look at how solving a small marketing issue led to a long-term strategic partnership that still continues today (31:00). Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Emilee remembers Trekk’s 20th anniversary celebration and the creation of a unique piece of office furniture that marked this milestone (37:00).

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Shayne and Emilee are joined by Graphic Designer Aurelia Tauscher to visit the wide world of direct mail. After starting off by discussing their personal experience with mail (0:50), they move onto the use cases of direct mail (15:20) and how to optimize mailers for maximum ROI (23:00). Later, the three talk about how to make your mail pieces stand out from the crowd (31:35). In Problem Solved (43:35), Emilee shares how Trekk used a unique form factor to achieve one client's direct mail objectives. Finally, in Mics at the Bar (49:24), Social Media Strategist Sean Burke recounts an unorthodox pizza order.

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Social Media Strategist Sean Burke to discuss what happens after a marketing video is produced. The three of them discuss their favorite examples of marketing videos (1:39), how Trekk approaches producing original video content (13:18), and how to use a single video for multiple marketing purposes (22:00). They also discuss best practices for distributing video (30:00) and some strategies for repurposing marketing videos (39:00). In Problem Solved, they talk about creating long-form video content with multiple interviews that told a complete and compelling story. Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Trekk Senior Graphic Designer Alyssa Watkins recalls her first Trekk Cubs game, including a little surprise that really gave her a run for her money (49:00).

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

https://trekk.com/insights/how-b2b-companies-boost-trust-and-engagement-with-interview-style-marketing-videos

https://trekk.com/insights/how-level-your-social-media-strategy-2025

https://trekk.com/work/renaissance-video-storytelling

In this edition of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne are joined by Trekk Account Manager Jake Sellers to discuss all things SEO. They first talk about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on search (1:20), followed by Trekk's approach to helping clients with SEO (7:00). Later, after discussing the infancy of AI search optimization (22:47), they elaborate on how the agency measures the success of its SEO campaigns (30:25). In Problem Solved (36:53), the three review how Trekk helped a client refine their SEO strategy through a technical audit. Finally, in Mics at the Bar (42:44), Art Director Chris Brown recounts getting put on the spot at a company outing.

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Emilee and Shayne welcome Trekk Content Strategist Nick Ostdick to discuss how you can turn your email newsletter into a revenue generator. First, they discuss some of their favorite newsletters (2:22) and the difference between a newsletter and other types of marketing emails (8:10). Then, they hit on what to look for when evaluating newsletter performance (14:00) and how you can increase the value subscribers get from your newsletter. In Problem Solved, they discuss Trekk’s approach to newsletters (35:00) Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Trekk Senior Motion Designer Nick Grobe reminisces about a magic show at HQ (39:00).

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Shayne and Emilee are joined by Trekk’s HubSpot Administrator Jillian Hazy to discuss CRMs and the importance of having a CRM administrator who deeply understands your data. They review the fundamentals on CRMs (1:20) and compare the pros and cons of going in-house for CRM administration (9:05) versus partnering with an agency or taking a hybrid approach (18:10). In Problem Solved (28:34), the three talk about how Trekk helped a client clean up their CRM, maximizing it for lead generation. Finally, in Mics at the Bar, Mike recalls helping a client construct an elaborate traffic driver for a trade show booth (34:35).

In this episode of Sidetrekked, Shayne and Emilee are joined by Trekk Senior Graphic Designer Alyssa Watkins to discuss all things branding. The three of them dive into the importance of brand consistency (11:27), best practices for ensuring brand consistency across your organization (17:30), the tools and processes we use to ensure brand consistency for our clients (24:00), and more. Then, in Problem Solved, they discuss the challenges and opportunities of updating event branding for an annual professional conference. Finally, in Mics at the Bar, they reminisce about the beginnings of Mustache Day, a beloved Trekk tradition.