Episode 298: Digital Marketing Can Complement Handshake Relationships
Larissa Uredi, a multi-venture entrepreneur and CEO of No-Where Consultants, is today’s, Guest Mentor. She joins me from Kansas City, MO. Larissa moved into co-ownership and CEO of No-Where Consultants in 2018. The founder, Aaron Crabb, is the Chief Technical Officer. They are in a long-term relationship and bring enthusiasm to building a digital strategy agency that leverages technology to solve business problems.
They specialize in mid-market blue-collar businesses and a variety of exciting start-ups. They have a special place in their ecosystem for nonprofits and community-focused businesses. All of which need a digital marketing makeover to complement their handshake relationships.
Today you will hear how Larissa became a multi-venture entrepreneur, three good digital marketing strategies, and two recent digital marketing makeovers. A $40M concrete business launches an online course enrolling 1,000 patrons in a year. This handshake business was ready for an online course after eight months of conversation. A window of opportunity, the coronavirus pandemic, increased the need for action. The preparation (dialogue, planning, and iterative prototyping) met the opportunity. In California, a flower shop is the second makeover where a florist desires to unite small floral shops to keep them viable.
Larissa defines digital marketing as “synonymous with marketing these days—it’s the art and science of sharing who you are, what problem you solve, and why your customers should work with you using an omnichannel approach.”
“Good digital marketing,” says Larissa, “takes a holistic approach from the experience that customers have when they visit your website to how you keep in communication with them (email, text, printed newsletter, etc.) to how you ask for their continued business and support.
Tactically speaking, a good digital marketing strategy takes into account three things:
* How users find and learn about you and your solutions,
* What experience and the first impression you make online, and
* What process you have for keeping them engaged and connected to your company.”
Larissa describes her life as a gigantic improv skit. She grew up in Littleton, Colorado, in the 1980s and 1990s and considered herself an old Millenial. At age 14, learning to drive around Waste Water Treatment plants and work in her Dad’s office brings an understanding of blue-collar industries.
Her Dad is a civil engineer she describes as driven, rugged, charming, implementer, and has a temper. Her Mom was the opposite, being straight-laced, particular, a traveler, and creative at home. A combination that worked in raising Larissa and her brother. Having her parent’s trust and belief in her expanded her curiosity and desire to explore the world.
As a communicator and creative, Larissa found a sweet spot in the confluence between her aspirations, expertise, and audience interests. A reminder that no one cares about your aspirations to change the world until you create something of value your audience desires.
Asserting self-leadership for Larissa came through a year-long adventure to Turkey and Europe in her twenties. The stars and money aligned to pursue opportunities and artist residencies, she acknowledges. Later she learned how to command the attention of teenagers by teaching a mad scientist after-school weekend program. Her challenge, command the presence of 75 teenagers as soon as you walk into an auditorium or be overtaken. A sink or swim situation. She swam.
Engaging a young population in science also prepared her to navigate the choppy waters of unpredictability in small business ownership and know how to command a team of creatives and technology experts. Her life includes other insights worth hearing.
