Have you thought about how you’re going to approach the later years of your career? It’s an area so many of us don’t have a roadmap for. Successful succession planning means defining the legacy you want to leave, firming up your business and brand to operate independently, putting your talent in a position to grow and prosper, and planning your exit strategy. We’re of course NOT financial advisors, so we welcomed on Nick Bour. He’s the Founder and CEO of Inspire Wealth, a financial company...

Do you need to have an in-person office to have a creative culture? We think not. In fact, we believe a hybrid work environment may just be the best way to stimulate creativity. Listen to why we disagree with Disney’s Bob Iger on his implementation of returning to the office. Make sure to catch the full episode here.

In this episode, we take a look back at some of our favorite takeaways from our Creative Series, focused on the issues facing creative agencies today and how they need to evolve to stay relevant. Our 10 special guests covered everything from the importance of relationships in the marketing agency space to developing a brand - not a one-hit-wonder. Hear from John Gleason, Jimmy Smith, Teresa Heath-Wareing, Angie Fischer, Mark Hughes, Kyle Schlegel, Maeve Hagen, Tom Custer, Sam Baier, and Fred...

The Hero. The Caregiver. The Everyman. You might have heard of brand archetypes. But what are they? And how do you use them effectively? It can be a difficult subject, but we came prepared with the examples and analogies you need to make your own brand archetypes come to life. You’ll want to listen to the full episode here.

A career coach can be one of your most valuable assets. They’re an unbiased resource who has nothing at stake except your personal growth and success, and they can help you see blind spots and give you tools and practices people closer to you may not. In this episode, we examine the “4 Key Roles Your Business Coach Should Play.” We also provide lots of personal anecdotes for how we chose our coaches, and how we get the most out of the relationships. Did you know we offer coaching as part of...

The fundamentals of leadership remain the same, no matter your level. We highlight two in this Quick Hit: Having followers and testing-and-learning your leadership practice. Make sure to listen to the full episode here.

Building a team is a crucial step as your business matures. And your team can be a huge help in strengthening your branding and marketing efforts. But, there are plenty of decisions to make, such as full-time employees or freelancers, maximizing your team’s capabilities, and deciding who’s a good fit for your company. We wanted you to learn from an expert who knows both team-building and marketing super well, so we welcomed on Victoria Hajjar, Founder of Ugli Ventures. They help transform...

Referrals. They build businesses. But how do you get them, over and over again? We welcomed on expert Dallas Travers. She’s the Founder of The Hive and Host of Coaches on a Mission. It all comes down to creating specific KPIs for your referral funnel among other tools we share in the full episode here.

This week, we’re making the entire episode a Marketing Smarts Moment. We’re honored to welcome special guest Keltie Knight, the 3-Time Emmy Award-Winning TV Host and Creator of “Superfan.” Hear how to achieve your goals, keep trying and trying, develop your personal brand, and why women often focus on so much comparison. You’ll also hear the behind-the-scenes of Keltie’s new show “Superfan” on CBS. We’d like to invite you to join ForthRight Women: The Cohort. This community is for females...

Writing is an endlessly useful skill in the business world. It can greatly help your ability to persuade, influence, and gain advocacy. We wanted you to learn from the best of the best when it comes to business writing, so we welcomed on Scott Keyser. He’s The Writing Guy and the Author of Winner Takes All and Rhetorica. Listen to the full episode here.

It can be difficult to keep up with the marketing and branding landscape - it’s always changing. Wouldn’t it be helpful to hear from top CMOs (Chief Marketing Officers) on the matter? That’s what our guest, Mitch Duckler, did in his new book, The Future-Ready Brand. Mitch is the Founder and Managing Director of FullSurge, a brand and marketing strategy consulting firm that helps clients accelerate business growth. You’ll hear his key insights from the book, how to find an authentic...

The interview process has become more and more important in recent years. You need to interview effectively so you can land top talent and pass on the wrong fits. In this Quick Hit, you’ll hear how to ask for their elevator pitch and give them an assignment in real time. Make sure to listen to the full episode here.

This week, we’re back with another Marketing Smarts Moment that’s an entire episode. We’re thrilled to welcome special guest Jill Morenz, the President and CEO of Aviatra Accelerators. Jill and Aviatra are all about supporting, enabling, and lifting female entrepreneurs. Hear the biggest challenges female entrepreneurs face, how to get started, focus on your mission, why women give up, and how to find the community that supports you during the good and bad times. Sign up for the Second Act...

LinkedIn is THE place where people go to connect professionally. Your presence on the platform can create endless perks for your business and personal brand – if you do it right. Where do you start? We answer that and more in this Quick Hit. Full episode here.

Cold emailing is one of the toughest things to do well. So many companies and marketers get lazy and resort to automation WITHOUT personalization - totally losing the human touch a well-crafted email deserves. So, how do you send cold emails that actually convert? You need to consider all the touchpoints, including the sender name, subject line, preview text, email copy, and even email signature. We wanted you to learn from a true pro in the email marketing world, so we welcomed on Laura...

So often, people shy away from digital marketing efforts. They’re scared they may do it wrong, or don’t understand it at all. But, digital marketing can be used to your advantage! Ben Lund joined us in this Quick Hit. He’s the Founder of Rise Marketing Group, a performance advertising agency who tailors curated programs to drive growth. Listen to the episode in its entirety here.

Digital media can open doors for your business - no matter what type of business you have. But it’s easier said than done. How do you leverage digital media to the point you actually achieve business results instead of wasting money? We wanted you to learn from a duo who truly knows what they’re doing in the space, so we welcomed on Blake Pinsker and Torii Rowe. They’re the Founder and Head of Acquisition, respectively, at DREAMLABS, a performance marketing agency specializing in media...

The creative brief is the spark to a fantastic campaign – or an underwhelming one, if you’re not careful. This Quick Hit brings you the wisdom of “The King of Creative Briefs That Sell,” Howard Ibach. He’s a creative brief expert, the Founder of Creative Brief Workshops, an author, trainer, and former creative. Check out the full episode here.

The best leaders are mentally strong. How do they get that way? Our guest, Scott Mautz, believes there are 6 mental muscles that equate to mental strength. And we have to keep working out those muscles - just like we do physical muscles at the gym. Scott is a Bestselling Author, Keynote Speaker, and passionate expert on mental strength, peak performance, change, employee engagement, and leadership. His latest book, The Mentally Strong Leader, explores why mental strength is THE leadership...

Converting leads is one of the biggest challenges businesses have. It can be tough to get attention, and even tougher to convert that attention to revenue. We wanted you to hear from someone who truly knows how to make all these things work together, so we welcomed on Alisha Conlin-Hurd. She’s the Co-Founder of Persuasion Experience, the “post click” growth agency who makes your marketing actually convert. Catch the full episode here.

Impostor Syndrome is very real and very common. How do you combat it? It comes down to embracing the 80/20 rule, being brave enough to step outside the box, becoming a lifelong learner, and getting in front of managing change. We wanted you to learn from a true expert in the space, so we welcomed on Ryane LeCesne. She’s the Master Your Mindset Coach at Inspire Brand Consulting. We’d like to invite you to join ForthRight Women: The Cohort. This community is for females who are ambitious in...

It should go without saying that client service is important for your clients and your business. Client service should play the role of keeping the client in the room at all times, but issues can arise. This Quick Hit welcomes Chris Wallen, Director of Client Partnership at BAREFOOT, a brand experience agency in Cincinnati that serves clients ranging from Fortune 10 companies to local nonprofits. Make sure to listen to the full episode here.

In this episode, we wrap up the interviews for our Creative Series, focused on the issues facing creative agencies today and how they need to evolve to stay relevant. Our 10th special guest is Fred Richards, Founder of The Hive Principle. He has over 30 years of experience in the branding industry, and has led creative work for some of the biggest brands in the world. Hear why it’s hard to differentiate agencies these days, why there’s a lack of trust, when to say no to potential clients, why...

Good or bad events can make or break your brand. You can’t always do everything perfectly, but there are plenty of things you can do to ensure your event runs smoothly. This Quick Hit gives you hot-off-the-press experiences with all these aspects from our ForthRight Women (FRw) events. We’re here to resolve your worries so you can rock that stellar event. Catch the full episode here.

In this episode, we continue our Creative Series, focused on the issues facing creative agencies today and how they need to evolve to stay relevant. Our 9th special guest is Sam Baier, Senior Director, Brand at Elevate. They’re a full-service consulting firm that inspires high-performing organizations to find their limits and push past them. Hear how to create a fantastic partnership between brands and agencies, how expectations have changed over the years, why the sports industry is behind...