More than a Few Words

12/20/2024

Every message you send shapes your brand—make it count

Chris Moore and I explored the importance of crafting communication that aligns with your company’s vision. Chris is a leadership expert who has spent over 25 years guiding both Fortune 500 companies and small businesses toward building strong, results-driven cultures. As he explains, every message you send—whether it’s to a customer, employee, or partner—has the power to shape how people see your brand. But how do you make sure those messages truly reflect your vision?
Here are the main takeaways:

Vision Is More Than a Dream
We often think of our vision in terms of personal goals or financial success, but a powerful vision includes everyone it touches. When you expand your vision to benefit your customers and team, it becomes a shared mission, making it easier to bring people on board and turn that vision into reality.

Communicate Consistently and Clearly
Business owners sometimes assume that repeating their message is overkill, but if you think you’re overcommunicating, you’re probably just beginning to hit the mark.

Ask the Right Questions
There are four key questions that act as guardrails, helping to keep messages aligned with the company’s mission and brand identity.

Does this represent our vision?
What does this say about us?
What does this say about our team?
And finally, what does this say about our customers?
Pause Before You Post

Social media often feels like it demands instant reactions, but it doesn’t; Take a moment to review your response and maybe get a second opinion before you post or hit send to be sure the message reflects your values accurately

The conversation will be released on December 26, so be sure to look for it in your feed, or better, subscribe, so you don't miss it or any of my other conversations https://apple.co/3O3sJmt

12/20/2024

Let's chat about ChatGPT and other LLM's, is Google declining and they are rising? What are we not thinking about that smart marketers are?

12/20/2024

This was my most popular story on Medium last month.

Matching Capacity and Demand

12/19/2024

https://medium.com//create-a-conversation-fc720000a0dc

It is time to stop selling, promoting and clinging to outdated digital marketing strategies and tactics. You can not shout your way to…

12/19/2024

Do you ever find yourself lying awake, thinking of all the things you need to do tomorrow? Elizabeth Louis, neuropsychology expert and mindset coach, has a solution. In this conversation she breaks down why planning your day the night before is a game-changer, especially for high achievers who can’t seem to switch off. Along the way she shares practical tools to stay focused, adapt to change, and, yes, finally get some good sleep.
Here are a few of her best tips:

Plan Your Day Before Bed: Instead of running through tomorrow’s to-dos as your head hits the pillow, jot down three to five tasks before you leave work. Not only does this clear your mind, but it primes your brain for a more relaxed, productive morning.

Tap Into “Sensory-Based Thinking”: The brain’s quick, sensory-based thinking mode is four times faster than verbal reasoning. Planning ahead helps shift tasks into that mode, so your brain’s already working on solutions while you sleep.

Be Adaptable: When your day goes sideways (as it does!), don’t let it throw you. Be flexible, remember a rigid schedule can leave us spinning, while a looser grip lets us stay nimble and calm.

Celebrate Small Wins: Think of your goals like mile markers on a road trip. Instead of stressing over the full journey, celebrate hitting each marker, keeping up momentum and making the whole experience more enjoyable.

Catch Your “Thinking Traps”: Ever notice that you tend to expect the worst? Many of us have mental patterns that pull us down the same rabbit holes day after day. Elizabeth’s advice? Recognize them, greet them like familiar visitors, and then get on with the work that matters.

If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/

About Elizabeth Louis
She Helps High-Achievers Transform Their Psychology & Business To Generate Impact & Income in Less than 6 Weeks. She works as an Executive Performance Coach and have two graduate degrees in psychology. She is a professional coach and therapist specializing in performance/sports psychology, positive psychology, CBT, and Neuropsychotherapy.
Elizabeth is an executive performance coach for corporate powerhouses and innovation-driven entrepreneurs across the globe. I have spent the last 7-years studying and working with high-performers to help them make the impossible possible.

12/18/2024

Just finished editing my conversation with Jaclyn Strominger

Here’s what stood out to me most in our conversation:

Crafting a Magnetic “Vibe: We all radiate energy, whether we realize it or not, and that energy can either attract or repel. Building a community starts with putting out a vibe that feels welcoming, confident, and authentic. This isn’t about pretending to be upbeat all the time—it’s about intentionally choosing the energy you bring into interactions, especially on tough days. That consistent, positive vibe is what builds trust and draws people in.

The LEAP Framework: Offers a roadmap for ambitious professionals to reach their next level:

Leveraging Communication : Keeping your vision, mission, and values front and center, both for yourself and for others, keeps you aligned and focused.
Energy : Energy is the secret sauce. Using an energy assessment tool with her clients, Jaclyn helps them tap into this inner resource so they can create a magnetic presence.
Action : A good vibe without an action plan doesn’t take you far. Align their daily tasks with their goals.
Performance: Apply the “MMA”—measure, monitor, and adjust—to make sure you’re on the right path and hitting your goals.
Mindset Matters: In every situation, we can choose how to show up, and that choice sets the tone for everything that follows.

The conversation will be released on December 24, so be sure to look for it in your feed, or better, subscribe, so you don't miss it or any of my other conversations https://apple.co/3O3sJmt

12/18/2024

Let’s put this on the table first: email isn’t dead. In fact, it’s a powerful part of any marketing strategy. You might be surprised, but sending an email often gets up to four times the engagement compared to social media.

The key? Permission. Your audience must trust you enough to allow communication. They should want to hear from you.

Your goal is to build relationships one email at a time.

12/17/2024

The life of a journalist, especially a writer for a daily paper, is filled with searching for the next story. Sometimes there is an exciting breaking story, like an earthquake in Taiwan, or a Tornado in Texas.

These stories are relevant as they are happening. They’re the headlines that demand immediate attention, shaping the current narrative. But they fade with time. A story about the results of the sporting event two weeks after the game just won’t get read. And they don’t come around every day.

So between the breaking features, journalists look for other types of stories to entertain their readers. There are stories which are time sensitive or seasonally relevant, such as stories about holiday shopping trends in the winter or gardening tips in the spring. They can be written in advance and scheduled to run during the right season.

And then there are the evergreen stories. These informative features can run at any time. Newspapers typically use this content to fill in on a slow news day. These timeless features, offering valuable insights regardless of the day or season.

As you plan your content calendar, take a lesson from the journalist and plan for three types of content.

Good journalists use a mix of content, breaking news, seasonal and evergreen You should too!

12/17/2024

Sitting down with Robert Downey, CEO of Simply Be Found, I discovered a new way of looking at AI—not just as a marketing tool, but as a powerful sales ally. We dove into how AI can help small businesses boost their local SEO, streamline social media efforts, and make the most of website content.
Robert’s insights on AI’s role in digital marketing made me think back to the early days of the internet. Back then, businesses were just dipping their toes into the online world, figuring out how it all worked. Now, though, it feels like the pressure’s really on. With AI reshaping the entire landscape, companies have to keep up with these changes—or risk getting left behind.
Key Takeaways:

Make AI Your Sales Partner: AI can enhance sales strategies, from drafting follow-up emails to refining content for better lead generation. But Robert emphasizes that AI should be used as a tool, not a replacement for genuine interaction.

The SEO Pixel Advantage: Robert's SEO pixel is a game-changer, tracking real-time user behavior on your site and making instant updates to improve SEO. It’s like having a 24/7 SEO expert refining your content and making it work harder for you.

Website Revival: Far from being outdated, websites are central again as primary sources of business data for AI. Effective SEO, social media, and even local listings all feed off the information your website provides.

AI with a Human Touch: While AI can generate content, it still needs a human eye to review, adjust, and make it authentic. Robert likens AI to a calculator—it’s only as good as the input and oversight you provide.

Stay Engaged: AI isn’t set-and-forget. For best results, businesses should stay engaged with AI tools, guiding them to meet specific goals and adjusting output to maintain a personalized touch.

If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROBERT

Robert Downey is the co-founder of Simply Be Found, a leading platform that helps small businesses improve their local SEO and online visibility. With nearly three decades of experience, Robert has led over 1,000 successful marketing campaigns and developed more than 5,000 websites. As a fourth-generation entrepreneur, he has a deep understanding of what it takes to succeed in the digital landscape. Robert's passion lies in helping local businesses grow by connecting them with their communities, and his innovative strategies have transformed the way companies approach local marketing and SEO


https://SimplyBeFound.com
https://youtube.com/

12/16/2024

Engage your audience with a good story!

If you want to be good at sales, you need to engage your prospect with stories. Why? Because data, is boring. Stories may the data come alive!

12/15/2024

Josh Nielsen, the founder of Zencastr shared his thoughts about the next generation of podcasting.

In this conversation I had to chat with Josh Nielsen, the founder of Zencastr about the next generation of podcasting.

12/15/2024

Some of the content that's doing really well on LinkedIn right now are the multi image posts putting together two or three related images and putting that in your feed like a carousel or just a collage really grabs the attention because it's different than the single images that everyone else is putting out there. Those multiple images allow you to tell a more complete story.
The second thing that is dominating LinkedIn right now is video. Video, video. The beautiful thing is that you do not need to create video just for LinkedIn. You can use the same shorts that you're putting on YouTube and TikTok and Facebook and share them. On LinkedIn to create that brand exposure and deliver your message.

If you’ve enjoyed this conversation sign up for a weekly newsletter get links to episodes you might have missed and other resources for your business https://morethanafewwords.com/avoid-fomo/

12/14/2024

Don't be intimidated by the blank screen

In this conversation with Erin Lebacqz we talk about the importance of written communication and how to improve your writing.

12/13/2024

What we learned this year about AI

Wondering how I manage my live streams? I use Streamyard, and you can to Use this link to save $10 discount on an annual fee. https://streamyard.com/pal/d/5399072712687616

12/13/2024

It's been a ride!! Come chat with us as we talk about what we have learned from using AI this year.

12/13/2024

If you want to be successful, you need to think big!

Loved this chat with Andrea Liebross about how women need to change how they think about things to achieve more!

12/12/2024

Use your business plan in all aspects of your marketing

Do you have a multipurpose business plan? Actually, you do. The content you write can actually be used to fuel your marketing,

12/12/2024

I had so much fun welcoming back Kendra Corman back to the show. An accomplished marketing strategist whose insights are as practical as they are powerful. Kendra’s worked with everyone from small businesses to global brands like Jeep, bringing her marketing expertise to a range of clients. Today, we dug into the ever-evolving world of AI and how it can be a real game-changer for social media and email marketing.
Now, if you know me, you know my relationship with AI is complicated. I love the possibilities, but I’m a bit wary of giving up too much control, especially when it comes to my voice. But Kendra shared some great tips and tricks to get the best of both worlds—leveraging AI to streamline content creation while keeping it uniquely “you.”

Training AI in Your Voice: Start by “teaching” AI how you sound. Share real content, like podcast transcripts to help AI learn your unique tone. The result? Content that’s in your voice, whether you’re crafting a LinkedIn post, a Facebook update, or an email newsletter.
Setting Boundaries with Words: Create a “do not use” list for words or phrases that feel off-brand. In fact, she shares my distaste for terms like “maximize” and “utilize,” which can make marketing feel pretentious. Providing AI with these specifics helps produce content that stays true to your brand’s personality.
Tailoring Content for Each Platform: Just as you would guide a new employee, give AI instructions to adjust tone and style depending on the platform. That way, each post feels like it fits naturally in its environment—LinkedIn reads more professional, while Facebook is a bit more casual.
Refining AI Prompts Over Time: One word can dramatically alter AI’s output. For example, the term “conversational” yields a friendlier tone than “informal,” which sometimes comes across as overly relaxed. As you work with AI, make notes of these little discoveries, as they’ll save time and improve content quality down the road.
Final Editing is Essential: AI can be a great partner for draft creation, but it’s not quite ready to go live on its own. Adding that last layer of polish ensures your content sounds natural and true to your voice.

If this conversation has peaked your interest be sure to check out Kendra’s book, Mastering AI in Marketing Communications, which goes even deeper, offering practical prompting tips for anyone looking to harness AI effectively without losing that human touch.

What did you think of the episode? I would love to hear from you. Please take a quick minute to complete the listener survey I can create shows that that keep you coming back, with a few laughs and a lot of practical tips along the way. https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/AWHOIJ0/MTFW