In this podcast episode (which I loved recording), Phil Treagus-Evans discusses his journey as a bestselling author and the principles behind his book, 'Human First Marketing - The Art of Being Seen, Trusted and Remembered.'

He emphasises the importance of treating customers as real people, the challenges he faced while writing the book, and some sound business and marketing principles we should all take to heart.

I've highlighted so many paragraphs of Phil's book (it's that good a read). One paragraph that encapsulates the author’s vision and advice for marketers is this:

"It's not about getting quick-wins but building long-term success with loyal customers and earning trust and admiration for your brand." Human-First Marketing, pg. 88.

And a good reminder for all of us, whether we work in Marketing or not included below (great career advice, Phil :)

“Every action we take should be on purpose, on strategy and with a clear idea of what we’re hoping to achieve by doing it. It is very easy to fall into the comfortable and complacency-ridden practice of doing marketing for its own sake. There is no ‘why’; there is no purpose and it is a waste of everyone’s rime.” Human-First Marketing, pg. 89

ABOUT PHIL TREAGUS-EVANS

Phil is an entrepreneur and writer. He is the co-founder and CEO of Giraffe Social, one of the UK’s leading social media agencies.

Learn more about the great work Phil does on Giraffe’s website and LinkedIn.

Sponsorship slots available. Please contact Ana for details.

This conversation explores the freelancing journey of a marketing professional turned entrepreneur - Lucy Smith.

The discussion offers a realistic perspective on freelancing - with its pluses and minuses- as experienced by Lucy as a freelancer, and myself as a business owner.

Lucy’s entrepreneurial journey started in the most spectacular manner and the timing was perfect:

• a viral post kick-started her business and got her the first three clients.

• the Q4 frenzy meant that founders were trying to supercharge their marketing efforts and results before the year-end and needed extra help. Cue the freelancer - Lucy - who got very busy right from the start.

A 6-month experiment started in August 2024 turned into a successful business, and in April 2025 Lucy incorporated her marketing consultancy - LS MKTN Ltd.

But this is not all. Lucy is also launching a start-up and susequenty, her new tool, Thistl, designed to help individuals grow their personal brands online.

"Referrals can be incredibly powerful."

"Don't view other freelancers as your competition.” Join a community.

"Invest in your tech stack early."

Thank you Lucy for being a delightful podcast guest and for sharing so generously from your experience. So much to learn and take away from this webinar-turned-podcast episode.

Please see below the freelancing websites I’ve mentioned on the webinar.

• Upwork

• Freelancer.com

• PeoplePerHour

• MarketerHire

To request a copy of the slides, please fill in this form.

More than the results, pay attention to the prompts and questions (all good food for thought) included in the quiz.

ABOUT LUCY SMITH

As a Director of LS MKTN and Founder of Thistl, Lucy does good work for good businesses.

Find out more about Lucy on LinkedIn and via her websites:

lucy-smith.com (marketing consultancy)

thistl.io (a new AI-powered tool that helps professionals develop their personal brands online)

Sponsorship slots available. Please contact Ana for details.

My conversation with Nick Halder was packed-full of useful advice for both employers and employees, marketing professionals as well as individuals outside of this field, job seekers, students and frankly people at all stages of their career.

One of the most intriguing (and potentially controversial) topics we’ve addressed is how much meaning we should (or shouldn’t) assign to our work (min. 15:43). We also spoke about AI’s impact on work and human potential (min. 12:44) and discussed & debated the usefulness of 5-year career plans.

It was also an opportunity for me to be acquainted with the world of corporate talent development, and Nick’s professional trajectory (from Political Sciences into the realm of employee learning and development).

We hope you’ll enjoy listening to this episode.

1. It's all about helping people unlock their potential.

2. AI can be both a concern and an opportunity in the workplace.

3. Red flags in candidates include lack of preparation and vague answers.

4. Interviews should reflect the organisation's culture and values.

5. The future of work will involve a balance between AI and human creativity.

I hope you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I did.

P.S. I thought I’d gradually switch to a video format for the podcast so you can see the laughs, smiles and general good vibes that happen during an interview and that are more difficult to perceive through audio only.

Please let me know if you’re enjoying this new format (or not).

ABOUT NICK HALDER

As a Talent leader, Nick’s mission is to foster people-centric organisational cultures that are continuously adaptable and able to deliver tangible business value.

With decades of experience bringing this to life in fast-moving technology businesses, Nick’s focus remains empowering individuals, teams, leaders and organisations to be their brilliant best through the various seasons of change a company goes through: global expansions, acquisitions etc.

Nick is a regular speaker at conferences such as The People Development Summit (Lisbon), FIRM Conference, and iRecruit (Amsterdam).

Connect with Nick on LinkedIn (and kindly specify the reason for connecting as part of the process).

Check out the Curiosity Quotient podcast hosted by Nick.

Sponsorship slots available. Please contact Ana for details.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Risk-taking can lead to significant career growth opportunities.

2. Understanding both client and agency perspectives enhances marketing effectiveness.

3. "Interviews are a necessary evil in job searching." Research the company thoroughly before an interview. Use the STAR method to structure your answers.

Managing nerves is crucial for interview success.

4. Collaboration among marketers can enhance professional growth for all those involved.

I hope you’ll enjoy this episode as much as I did.

KEY CONCLUSIONS

1. Diverse marketing teams lead to better campaigns. Inclusive marketing practices can attract a wider audience.

2. Age diversity within a Marketing team is crucial for understanding different audiences.

3. Equity implies different responses to different needs. Offering the same treatment or resources to everybody can sometimes be the unequitable thing to do. Jaysica explains why.

4. Research is essential for developing effective EDI policies.

5. Empathy and kindness are vital in workplace interactions.

6. Diversity enriches the workplace and enhances creativity as people bring different insights and experiences to the table.

KEY DISCUSSION TOPICS

Strategies for CEOs during challenging times. Flexibility and adaptability are key in navigating business challenges. Open communication fosters collaboration and problem-solving during tough times.

Building trust and transparency is crucial for successful partnerships. Long-term relationships with clients lead to sustainable business success.

Transitioning to an SME can offer more direct impact and innovation opportunities.

How the pandemic has shifted perceptions about remote work and collaboration and created opportunities for this Romanian business.

Successful businesses prioritise empathy and human connection.

I love to see marketing professionals succeed and we all know that it starts with the marketing plan. Here’s how to create a plan that won’t flop, won’t make you look bad and will support the business’ objectives in the new year. Onwards and upwards!

“What we do see is people aren't being replaced when they leave. So you have more natural attrition.

Certainly in creative industries there are fewer entry level jobs because a lot of those starter positions (where you learn the trade) have been already replaced by machines.

So that actually leads - from a societal and from a commercial standpoint - that if you have no juniors, then you'll never get seniors.

We need to think about how the youth are working more on the same level as the senior people.” Jon Bains, Founder of Obsolete.com

“Really think about who you're writing for, you don't want to just write about the features all the time or how great your product is. You want to think about your audience. What are their pain points?” Erica Coulehan, Content Marketer and Owner of EC-Marketing.