Small Stage, Big Impact

Is there anything worth salvaging from 2020?

If you've been following along for the past few episodes, you know that I've been able to find some nuggets of gold in all the junk 2020 has been throwing at us this year. My business has grown. I've grown. As a business leader and as a person.

In today's episode, you'll hear from some of our past guests about what they're thankful for, and how they're moving into 2021 with hope.

A common thread in each of their statements is that intentionality is essential to gratitude.

Each of these women has chosen to use the chaos of 2020 to focus on what truly matters. And often what matters to us personally has a profound effect on what we're doing with our businesses.

Many of you have committed to #DoBetterDigital so you can be better business leaders and better people. You've committed to creating a better world.

When we find reasons to be thankful, we remind ourselves what we're fighting for.

Are you struggling to find a spark of gratitude after the hot mess of 2020? I hope today's episode will inspire you to not only find a reason to be thankful, but also find a reason to hope for a better 2021. Listen now.

• [4:10] The need to intentionally reassess how you have been using your time
• [7:51] The importance of creating the right kind of support network in you business and personal life
• [8:43] How learning to notice your wins leads helps you to continue to move forward and find success
• [11:24] Why embracing who we are is vital to creating healthy relationships and empowering others to do the same
• [15:14] What Renia is most grateful for this year

• Revisit Danielle's episode about why it's important to your business to make room for creativity
• Revisit Elizabeth's episode about how the power you need to succeed is already inside of you
• Revisit Kronda's episode about making your website work for you
• Revisit Lori's episode about the impact on our business when we lead from our values
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

What are you doing to actively build up your community?

If 2020 has taught us anything, it's that we really do need each other. In our personal and professional lives, we depend on our community not just to survive, but to thrive.

Today's guest is Naomi Hattaway, an experienced world traveler and current City Council candidate. Naomi is passionate about community building, diversity, and accessibility in online and personal spaces.

That community-building includes people who don't always agree with what she stands for.

Naomi is a biracial woman in the Midwest who doesn't even try to conform to societal norms. She has met her fair share of resistance and rejection. But her unconventional education and experience in the international community have taught her to view the world through a unique lens.

Referencing Nilofer Merchant, author of The Power of Onlyness, Naomi states,

"There's a spot in this world only you can stand in."

Naomi strives to show up every day and interact with her community with intention and compassion. She's learned not to be restrained by others' ideas of how the world works and how she should exist within it. And she's here today to share some of that hard-earned wisdom with us.

How do we bring together people of diverse experiences, beliefs, and political leanings to achieve a common goal?

Is it possible to build up our community even in times of social distancing?

What does it look like to be true to ourselves while fulfilling the roles and responsibilities demanded by our professional lives?

Join me in today's episode, where we explore the power we have to transform our communities and build a kinder, more accessible, and more equitable world. Listen now.

• [7:15] A simple step you can do today to support the community where you live
• [8:10] What is means to "leave well" when you experience changes in your life
• [9:28] How the practice of "leaving well" applies in a professional setting
• [16:10] Strategies Naomi has used to reach across party lines to bring her community together
• [20:27] How Naomi has struggled to balance heart and empathy with politics
• [25:12] Naomi's method for being authentic while still operating within the boundaries of her professional roles
• [29:19] How to choose who makes up your inner circle so you are supported in achieving your goals
• [35:34] Why Naomi is running a "slow campaign" to best honor herself, her team, and her community
• [40:24] What Naomi would do if she had a magic wand

• Learn more about Naomi Hattaway
• Follow Naomi's campaign on Facebook and Instagram
• Follow Naomi on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn
• Purchase The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

What would change for you if you viewed your SEO strategy as a transformational change instead of just data-driven analytics?

In today's episode, I'm sharing my thoughts on how SEO fits into our #DoBetterDigital strategy.

Search engine optimization is about more than traffic, keywords, and backlinks - though those things are important.

Great SEO is part of a holistic marketing practice.

It's not enough to tell great stories, or develop a great product, or really care about your customers. We need all of those elements to create a sustainable marketing strategy.

We even need SEO. Because like each of those elements, SEO done right puts people first.

We must stop viewing SEO as tweaks and hacks that generate short-term traffic and sales. Instead, let's see it as a dedicated practice that requires long-term strategy.

Our relationship with our customers ebbs and flows as we experience growth and change on both sides. A great SEO strategy helps us get a clearer picture of that relationship. And that picture helps us to become better business leaders, better digital influencers, and better people.

Great SEO helps us #DoBetterDigital.

So how exactly do we go from analyzing data to putting people first with SEO? Join me in today's episode to find out.

Listen now.

• [5:22] Why the transactional part of marketing seems taboo to many of us, but is actually essential
• [8:21] What your SEO cycles can teach you about your place as a digital influencer
• [9:03] How SEO is an important part of a holistic marketing plan with several important benefits
• [11:38] How great SEO requires you to put people first, the cornerstone of #DoBetterDigital
• [13:09] Why SEO has shifted too far toward the transactional, and what we can do about it

• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

2020 is the year the world turned upside down. Has your marketing kept up?

In today's episode, we talk with Jedi Marketing Master, cohost of Digital Dykes, and my longtime friend, Crystal Smith.

We're looking back at the biggest marketing fails of 2020, as well as what it takes to stay relevant in a changing world.

The biggest fail I've seen from Businesses Who Must Not Be Named is the attempt to cling to "business as usual."

They may throw up a black box for Black Lives Matter on their website or post a "masks required" sign on their door. But the marketing strategies they mapped out in December of 2019 move ahead as scheduled. There is no awareness that their target audience may have shifted priorities.

The purpose of marketing is to persuade your audience to make a purchase.

If your audience is focused on meeting their basic needs for food, shelter, and safety, no amount of fancy copy or pretty pictures is going to persuade them to open their wallets to you.

We must always remember the humanity of our audience. As Crystal points out, the only way to be ethical AND successful in business is to be transparent.

Transparent in our expectations.

Transparent in our struggles.

And transparent in what we can deliver.

The marketing failures of 2020 happened because marketers forgot the cornerstone of effective marketing:

People buy from people they know, like, and trust.

How exactly do we adapt our marketing strategy to an audience with different needs and expectations than a year ago? We adjust our perspective, and we forge a new path.

To #DoBetterDigital, we must choose to do, or do not. There is no try. But we CAN do it together.

Learn more about how to be a marketing success in a post-2020 world in today's episode. Listen now.

***Please note: Today's episode is very NSFW or suitable for small ears.***

• [11:18] The number one mistake some marketers are making in 2020
• [22:26] The number one rule to being an ethical digital influencer and a successful marketer
• [38:45] The definition of "bro-marketers" and why their marketing tactics just don't cut it
• [41:46] How marketing can be a positive influence in the lives of consumers
• [45:06] The kind of manipulation you should avoid in marketing if you want to #DoBetterDigital
• [50:24] Renia's "cheat code" for digital marketing newbies who are struggling to find clients
• [52:47] Renia and Crystal's advice for sustainable success in business and in life

• Learn more about Crystal on her website
• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

Have you ever been told that when doing business you need to check your opinions on politics and religion at the door?

I received this advice from a former mentor, and I've spent the past eight years proving him wrong.

In today's social media world, neutrality is not an option. Not only is neutrality morally bankrupt, but it's also bad for your business.

Effective marketing is customer-focused. Right now, our customers are living in a world where people are scared and dying. Institutions and traditions we've relied on for generations are being turned on their heads. Belief systems are being turned inside out.

What your customers need from you now is surety about where you stand. Trust is hard to come by right now. Your audience needs to be able to trust that your values are in line with theirs before they will trust you with their money.

And if you truly want to #DoBetterDigital, you cannot sit on the fence about issues that so deeply impact the lives of your audience.

Please understand that I am not advocating arguing on social media or even backing a particular political candidate.

I am advising that you gather your courage, step out in confidence, and clearly communicate your values as a company.

What does taking a stand look like, and why is it vital to the success of your business, now more than ever? Join me in today's episode to find out. Listen now.

"If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality." - Desmond Tutu

• [4:10] The worst advice I ever received about how to run a business
• [8:44] Why neutrality is bad for business if you want to connect with today's audience
• [12:10] What taking a stand looks like in your marketing strategy
• [14:23] What taking a stand shouldn't look like if you want your messaging to be clear
• [20:01] An action to consider for your company on the day after the election

• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

What if you tossed the self-help books and focused on a single topic for an entire year?

That's exactly what I did for this past year, and the impact on both my personal and professional lives has been phenomenal.

Several years ago, I was introduced to Elizabeth DiAlto and the Wild Soul Movement. I have found a lot of value in her work. So last year, on my 36th birthday, I made what would turn out to be a life-altering decision.

Last year, before any of us knew what 2020 had in store for us.

I decided to take the plunge and focus on just one thing for the entire year. There is a mantra I learned in the Wild Soul Movement, and I decided to take it to heart and see where it led me:

Less Control, More Magic.

And what a wild, magical ride it has been.

I have spent this chaotic, frustrating, and sometimes scary year focusing on surrendering and letting go.

• I have let go of desires for myself,
• I have let go of expectations for my children, and
• I have let go of goals for my business.

In the process, I have learned so much about myself, about my loved ones, and about the direction we should take as a company.

I learned that true surrender allows us to look at our choices and what happens to us with a fresh perspective. A perspective filled with wisdom, discernment, compassion, and love.

I realize what you're probably thinking:

Why are we talking about surrender in a business podcast?

Like I said, it's been a magical ride. And much of that magic has been in my business.

I surrendered my ideas of what my business needed to do and be in order to grow. I followed my heart instead of my head, and surprise! We grew. We've grown enough to be able to hire several new people. And we've matured enough to better pinpoint our place in this industry.

2021 is going to bring some big changes to Genevieve Digital. Our focus is changing. My role is changing

And each change is being made to better help YOU change the world.

What can you expect from us this year as we continue to better serve you?

Join me in today's episode to find out.

• [5:28] Why we're talking about surrender and release in a business podcast
• [14:27] How Renia's responsibilities are changing this coming year as a result of what she's learned
• [17:04] How Renia has released the idea that she must achieve "expert" status in order to grow the business
• [18:50] How Renia has let go of creating a training company and found her true direction
• [20:02] How Renia has found connection with other women without having met them in person
• [21:47] How Renia has stopped comparing herself to her male colleagues and learned to #DoBetterDigital in the process
• [ 25:20] What Renia wants to challenge and encourage you to do as we head into 2021
• [26:28] What Renia's new focus will be for this new year

• Learn more about Elizabeth DiAlto and the Wild Soul Movement
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

Is your website holding you back?

In this week's episode, we talk with web developer and digital marketer Kronda Adair about what many websites are missing when it comes to effective marketing.

It's more than just the wrong fonts or bad pop-ups. You must approach website design and content with a full understanding of your audience. Otherwise, your website is going to come up short.

"Me-centered" marketing isn't sustainable.

As Kronda reminds us, "Business is really about building relationships." People buy products and services from businesses they like, know, and trust. How do you build that relationship?

Kronda gives us some concrete tips, like:

• Avoid tiny, hard-to-read fonts,
• Don't put testimonials in sliders, and
• Consider turning off pop-ups for mobile.

But we also discuss the mindset we need to #DoBetterDigital. What value are we offering our audience? Would we use these tactics if we were speaking in person? Kronda reminds us,

"Just because you've received bad marketing doesn't mean can't give good marketing."

When you lead with a service mentality, your audience responds - with their wallets as well as their loyalty.

Listen now.

• [8:58] How to determine if your website is working for you (or if it's just pretty)
• [13:06] The secret to good marketing with a compelling lead magnet
• [19:30] How to be effective with your lead capture without being annoying
• [26:00] Why you should avoid "me-centered" language and how to fix it
• [33:08] Why you should be wary of "web guys" when choosing a web developer
• [38:51] The importance of understanding who you're selling to
• [40:27] How to co-create with your audience with transparency and integrity
• [49:50] The key to effective marketing that many business owners are missing
• [56:28] What it REALLY takes to make six figures in 30 days

• Check out Kronda's free and paid resources at https://members.karveldigital.com
• Sign up for Kronda's podcast waitlist at https://members.karveldigital.com/products/courses/view/26
• Follow Kronda on Facebook and Instagram
• Join the Service CEOs Facebook group
• Chris Davis on Contextual Calls-to-Action
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

What if you could improve your SEO and #DoBetterDigital at the same time?

Between the useful, quality content on your website and a potential customer lies a few pieces of text. This text can mean the difference between converting a new lead or losing another one to the competitors.

What could make such a big difference to your bottom line?

Metadata.

You may be ignoring it. You may be confused by it. You may have never even heard of it.

But these small pieces of text tell search engines what your website's about. That data then affects your search ranking, which affects your online visibility.

In this episode, we discuss the three types of metadata.

1. Meta titles
2. Meta descriptions
3. Alt text

Take a minute to think about your own web searches. When you're looking at a page full of search results, how do you determine which links to click? You read the blue links, as well as the information underneath them.

These are your meta titles and descriptions. And if you're using them to decide which sites to visit, don't you think your audience is doing the same?

Meta titles and descriptions impact your click-through-rate. Your click-through-rate affects your search ranking. Both of these impact brand awareness and website traffic. Do you see how this all works together?

Alt text is alternative text for images. Have you ever visited a page and an image failed to load? Sometimes you'll see text in its place that describes the image. That's alt text.

You're probably wondering what any of this has to do with accessibility.

Metadata was originally intended as information for screen readers. The text helps the screen reader understand the content and navigation of websites. Alt text also helps those who are visually impaired but don't use screen readers.

And then marketers ruined metadata.

Visually impaired people are still using screen readers. But often the metadata they encounter is unhelpful. It is nonsensical or even missing.

Poorly written metadata hurts both marketers and consumers. Let's talk about how we can tackle metadata and make the digital world more accessible at the same time.

Listen now.

• [3:14] How metadata impacts your bottom line and why it shouldn't be ignored
• [4:12] What alt text was originally intended for and how it can increase traffic when used correctly
• [7:01] Tips for optimizing your current metadata in order to bring your website up-to-date
• [8:10] What meta titles are and how they impact your search ranking
• [9:32] What meta descriptions are and how they impact your search rankings
• [11:58] Tips for writing meta titles and descriptions that will drive traffic to your site
• [22:02] Tips for writing alt text so you can #DoBetterDigital for others and for your business
• [28:13] When and why to use image captions and how to write them effectively
• [30:20] Some great resources for optimizing the metadata on your website

• Download Renia's metadata cheatsheet
• Check out the SEO Yoast plug-in to optimize the metadata on your WordPress site
• Check out Moz Meta Title Checker if you're not using WordPress
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram
• Watch this episode on YouTube
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

What would you do if you knew your content wasn't reaching 20% of your audience?

In today's episode, we talk with Deaf writer and disability rights activist Jennifer Brown. As Jennifer explains, most disabled people come into activism through necessity, not desire. She and many others have spent their lives fighting for accessibility to things that many of us take for granted. Things like education. Healthcare. Entertainment.

And digital content.

The adult disabled community accounts for over 20% of the population. That is over 1 in 5 people who rely on things like captions and screen readers just to live their lives.

Is your content accessible? Or are you missing out on touchpoints with a large part of your audience?

If we want to #DoBetterDigital, then we have to create content that our ENTIRE audience can access.

That could be the blind woman. The deaf man. The mom watching your live video while her baby sleeps. The student learning English by reading captions.

Accessibility isn't about being "PC." Accessibility is about being better.

Being a better digital marketer.

Being a better business owner.

Being a better human.

In today's episode, Jennifer tells us exactly what we need to do to #DoBetterDigital. And if you think you just can't afford to create accessible content? Jennifer has an answer for that too.

Listen now.

• [6:37] Jennifer's biggest wish in terms of accessibility and activism
• [8:43] The number one thing people can do to help create a more accessible society
• [11:19] How businesses are hurting their bottom line by not being more accessible
• [13:17] Some simple first steps every business can take to become more accessible to their audience
• [14:48] Why you should pay special attention to alt text for images to make it truly useful
• [18:35] How hashtags are a stumbling block for accessibility - and a simple fix!
• [21:20] How the cost of ADA-compliance is the cost of doing business, just like compliance with any other law.
• [26:10] The best way to make podcasts accessible for the deaf community
• [39:27] How accessibility and equity are intersectional and cover multiple types of experience

• Follow Jennifer on Twitter and Instagram
• Find out more about Jennifer and her work in Disability Justice
• View the "WAP" ASL cover signed by a Black Deaf woman on Twitter
• Read more about the controversy surrounding the viral music interpreter issue
• Learn more about the Dear Grown Ass Women community
• Don't miss an episode of season 4 of Small Stage, Big Impact

How can you make a kinder, more just world as a digital influencer?

You may have heard this phrase by Gary Vaynerchuck: "Marketers ruin everything." If that statement is true, then it makes me wonder:

If marketers are powerful enough to "ruin everything," aren't we also powerful enough to change things for the better?Season Four of Small Stage, Big Impact is about sustainable courage for leaders who want to do better digital. Right now, we can tend to be active participants in the manipulation and toxic capitalism that defines the world of marketing. Even if we don't mean to be.

What if we decided to change the habits that are ruining everything? What if we took ownership of our words and actions and created the world we want to live in? A world of equity and liberation for all people? This season we are going to explore what work needs to be done AND the courage needed to do it.

Why courage?

I don't think it's news to anyone when I say that the current digital marketing world is

• Hyper-masculine
• Steeped in white supremacy, and
• Wholly unconcerned with accessibility.

By continuing to unquestioningly take part in this world, we are, at best, leaving out many people. At worst, we are actively suppressing them. But this is the way it's always been done and old habits die hard. Breaking the mold is not only difficult but also scary.That's why we need courage. And that's why we are doing this together.

Why now?

I've put off this conversation because I like being the expert in topics I am going to speak about. On this topic, I am just another student. But 2020 has taught us that we must change to survive. If I am going to be an agent of change, I cannot continue sitting on my hands.

So this season I will play the role of facilitator while our many guests share their knowledge and experience of doing better digital. Rest assured that each speaker has been fully vetted by my team. They are in the work, doing the work, and are trained for the work. Most importantly, they've found success with the work.

In today's episode, expect to:

• Learn more about what to expect this season
• Hear about what I learned this month during Inbound Week, and
• Get details about our high standards for this season's guests

Listen now!

• [6:02] How digital marketers can have an impact on the world around us, for better or for worse
• [11:34] What the current digital world looks like and how it is harmful
• [12:59] How this season is different from previous ones (hint: I am also a student)
• [17:16] The examples that can be found at Inbound Week of how we can do better digital
• [24:52] The kind of help you can expect from me this season as we learn to do better digital
• [27:32] The types of guests we will be talking with this season and why you'll want to hear what they have to say

• Sign up to get updates so you don't miss a thing this season.
• Leave a review on iTunes
• Follow LoreniaC on Instagram