Focus Is Your Friend: How To Double Down On Marketing That Matters

With more than 20 years of experience in technology, SaaS, and B2B offerings, Jay Krishnan, Automile’s Vice President of Marketing, brings deep expertise in small business and enterprise marketing to the rapidly growing company. Prior to joining Automile, she led product marketing at fast-growing startups, accelerating growth and market leadership. She also drove go to market strategy for mobile and was an innovation catalyst during her tenure with Intuit. An accomplished change agent and thought leader, she speaks at several leading industry events on technology trends impacting different industries.   “Marketers often get too busy that they forget to carve out needed time with their customers.” - Jay Krishnan What you’ll learn about in this episode: Jay’s unique balance of marketing and technology How Automile’s fleet tracking service works What makes Automile’s hardware/SaaS blend so difficult Why everything at Automile is customer first Why startups and small companies shouldn’t forget that they can ta

Described by Bella NYC Magazine as being passionate, energetic, and full of life, K2s founder and CEO, Heidi Krupp-Lisiten, is right at home in the world of marketing, promotion, and media. With over 25 years in the field, Heidi has become recognized as an industry leader who works closely with her clients to develop innovative 360-degree brand platforms designed to engage consumers, excite media, drive awareness, and most importantly, deliver quantifiable business outcomes. As the head of K2, Heidi provides multi-disciplined marketing solutions, including unique strategic PR programs, on behalf of globally recognized brands such as Weight Watchers, Ann Taylor, Gaiam, and Everyday Health. Notably, her recent work with Nerium International (the fastest growing direct sales company in the world) has helped them to achieve their U.S. goals and expand into other countries. After earning a Bachelor's degree in journalism and communications from Ohio University, Heidi moved on to play an integral role at ABC News 2

Jen McClure is one of the original authorities on digital and social media. More than a decade ago, she anticipated the significant impact that these technologies would have on business, media, culture and society. This led her to cofound the Society for New Communications Research in 2005, a think tank focused on these technologies, which merged with The Conference Board in 2016. She now serves as a Program Director and Advisory Board Chair for The Conference Board. Jen is CEO of JEM Consulting & Advisory Services, a Silicon Valley-based consultancy dedicated to helping organizations gain competitive advantage through the use of digital and social media. Services include: digital transformation, strategy development, digital and social media audits and maturity assessments, digital due diligence for M&A, social selling and employee advocacy program development. Prior to founding JEM, she was VP of Digital & Social Media at Thomson Reuters, where she founded the company's Digital Center of Excelle

David Wisnom III is the founder & Chief Strategist of SightCast Inc., a brand strategy and marketing consultancy. David's background in developing brand strategies covers the spectrum of brands such as UCSF, Huntington Hospital, Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Varian Medical Systems, Mechanics Bank, Wells Fargo Advisors, McDonald's, and Coca-Cola. David's accomplishments include co-authoring the book Before the Brand: Creating the Unique DNA of an Enduring Brand Identity, (published by McGraw-Hill) and most recently authoring “Rebranding the Corporate Enterprise: a Step-by-Step Guide.” Prior to founding SightCast Inc., David was Managing Director of the FutureBrand, a global strategic branding firm. David was also Executive Director of Landor Associates, the leading strategic branding firm in San Francisco and opened their Chicago office. David's current philanthropic work includes second term as past Board Chair of Community Gatepath, a 95+ year old nonprofit that provides essential services to children

It may be an overused word but Mimi is truly passionate about helping create truly outstanding workplaces. Throughout her career, she has taken many business and personality assessments. With very few exceptions she weighs heavily towards creativity plus organization a combination that is highly unique she's been told. Due to this combination of strengths, she's had a very well-rounded background and experienced success as a strategist, a creative problem solver, a designer, a writer, a leader and a consultant. She’s worked in marketing, public relations, events, brand reputation, internal communications, design, corporate social responsibility, and executive communications. She’s worked for HR, Marketing and even once for Legal! Mimi is currently a Senior Partner at her consulting firm, Streamline Communications, in the San Francisco Bay area, that specializes in internal communication and graphic design.   “It's absolutely no fun to implement a bad idea.” - Mimi Garrity Denman What you’ll learn about in t

Kevin Craine is a professional writer and editor, an internationally respected business analyst, and an award-winning podcast producer. Kevin's podcasts have been heard around the world, including the award-winning "Everyday-MBA.com" where he interviews best-selling authors about success tips and techniques that you don't learn in business school. He is the host and producer of "Bizcast" on C-Suite Radio and his interviews feature today's best thought leaders. He is the producer behind podcasts for Epson, Canon, IBM and Kelly Services, among others. Kevin has also been the written voice for some of North America's leading brands like IBM, Kodak and Intel, along with a long list of individuals and start-ups from a wide variety of industries.   “Good writing is good business.” - Kevin Craine What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why strong writing is a skill that students need to focus on more than ever Mistakes companies make when they hire writers and content developers Why you must get clear about the

In spite of starting her career in accounting, failing IBM’s entry level sales exam, being given a territory that had never bought anything, and being told she couldn't sell without an engineering background, Kendra Lee entered the sales profession and proved those naysayers wrong. She turned her knowledge of numbers into her own approach to lead generation taking her to the top 1% of sales professionals in each IT company she sold for. She founded KLA Group, a sales and marketing agency, to consult, train and Do it For You so others, too, could beat the odds in sales and marketing and get more customers. Under Kendra’s direction, her organization has assisted entrepreneurs, business owners, executives, marketers, and salespeople for over 20 years in penetrating SMB markets in just 12 weeks, increasing referrals more than 328% in just 7 weeks, and multiplying new client acquisition more than 31% year over year. Kendra is the author of the award-winning books “The Sales Magnet” and “Selling Against the Goal.”

Libby leads the client services team at IDMLOCO, a digital strategy agency at the intersection of public affairs and marketing. With more than ten years of digital agency experience, Libby understands not just how to develop and implement successful campaigns, but also how to deliver exceptional communication and service to her clients. A native Midwesterner, Libby has previously built and led digital agency teams for Campbell Mithun, AdFarm, and Flint Group, where her work for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota earned a PRSA Silver Anvil. In 2012, Libby developed and taught the first class on social media for professional communicators at Minnesota State University - Moorhead.   “Dedicate at least 10% of staff time to learning, R&D, and development because that makes your processes, ideas for clients, and everything else that you do stronger.” - Libby Hall What you’ll learn about in this episode: How to figure out what kind of website is right for you or your clients Using your website budget and

Today we’re going to talk about #Hashtags. How do you use them -- and how do you use them well?   “Make sure you know what your hashtag means before you use it.” - Lee Caraher What you’ll learn about in this episode: Where the hashtag came from How to use hashtags to get into the flow of a conversation How to create a great hashtag Why you need to know the hashtag rules for each platform How to make sure your hashtag means what you think it means Making sure the hashtags you use match the kind of content you produce Why you should never “hashtag spam” How many hashtags are acceptable per social media platform Tools you can use for hashtag research Why hashtags on Instagram are different than on Twitter Resources: How to Use #Hashtags for Marketers The Ultimate Guide to Using Instagram Hashtags

So many books, so little time! We’ve taken the guesswork away by highlighting the best books you need to read this quarter.   “Each of these books has five nuggets that you can apply to your programs today that can help you have better results by next quarter.” - Lee Caraher What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you and your team should read books together “Pre-Suasion” Robert Cialdini’s book about why the moment before you deliver your message is so crucial “Influence” Robert Cialdini’s essential book about how to get people to say yes "Google Analytics Breakthrough" Feras Alhlou, Shiraz Asif, & Eric Fettman’s book that covers everything you need to know about Google Analytics “Hug Your Haters” Jay Baer’s book about why you will learn so much from people who complain (and the negative cost ignoring them has) “Contagious” Jonah Berger’s book about the difference between content that goes viral and content that doesn’t Resources: "Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade" by R

Julie developed Saison Beauty to bring together her passion for luxurious skin care treatments, eco health-friendly products, and holistic health. Prior to launching Saison, Julie spent 20 years as a global brand marketing and e-commerce executive at leading companies across several industries including beauty and skincare, retail, fashion, food and beverage, and consumer electronics. Most recently Julie was the marketing director for Gap Online International, overseeing the marketing of the Gap Europe, Gap Japan, and Banana Republic Europe e-commerce sites. While at Gap Inc., Julie also worked for the Gap Inc. Direct Marketing Strategy and Old Navy Online divisions. Julie also worked with a number of other global brands and companies including Shu Uemura, Aveda, The Body Shop, Elle Magazine Interactive, Cosmopolitan Magazine Interactive, Fox Interactive (The Simpsons, Die Hard, The X-Files), Mattel Interactive (Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox), Peet's Coffee & Tea, Hitachi Home Electronics and NEC Electroni

Kristen Ruby is the CEO of Ruby Media Group, a full-service Public Relations and Social Media Agency in Manhattan. Ruby is one of the preeminent social media experts in America. Ruby is a pioneer in the world of social media and tech trends and is a frequent on-air contributor to FOX Business, Good Morning America and countless other networks. Kris was chosen by the Business Council of Westchester as the youngest “40 Under 40″ Rising Stars. Most recently, Ruby has been featured on Bravo as “one of the pre-eminent social media experts in the field.” For more information or to book Kris Ruby for a segment, visit www.krisruby.com.   “You should hire a PR person if you really want someone to package your brand properly and get you out there.” - Kristen Ruby What you’ll learn about in this episode: Kristen’s article “Top 10 Signs You Shouldn’t Hire a Publicist” Why a publicist cannot get you instant, overnight results Why you shouldn’t hire a publicist if you don’t want to do any work Why you need to dedicate t

In our final episode of February, we look back at some of the best social media and storytelling lessons we learned this month from Heather Hawkins, Liz O'Donnell, and host Lee Caraher’s solocast about activism.   “When your business and your message do not line up, you’re at risk. It’s marketing’s job to make them line up.” - Lee Caraher What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why you need to start telling your story (Heather Hawkins) How to start telling your story if you’ve never done it (Heather Hawkins) Why you have to get so good at telling your story that telling it becomes second nature (Heather Hawkins) Why your story must be told from an authentic place (Heather Hawkins) Don’t be tone deaf: why you can’t post “normal” content during inappropriate times and why you must turn social off when something hits (Liz O’Donnell) How to use Twitter Moments and Trending Topics to stay on top of current events on social (Liz O’Donnell) Why you need to up your social game (Liz O’Donnell) Listening to what ot

Heather helps companies in the wellness and outdoor industries elevate their brand message to increase the positive impact they have on their consumers and communities. She believes a thoughtful communication program is about more than just volume, it's about identifying who matters most to your company in order to reach them in an authentic way. With an ever-expanding arsenal of earned, owned and paid communication tools, it's more important than ever to match the right consumer to the right channel and the right message for the past two-plus decades, she's been doing just that for consumer brands including CLIF Bar, Camelbak, Sega of America, Bell Helmets, Sony Computer Entertainment, Maroon 5 and more. She’d love to hear how she can help you, too. Away from her laptop, she's an endurance junkie who lives and breathes the wellness and outdoor lifestyle-- trail ultras, road marathons, triathlons, Mudders and more. If it sounds like a miserable way to spend a Sunday morning to most sane people, it's probably

Activism is the new black for brands in 2017. What does this mean for you?   “Walk the Walk. Don’t profess a point of view that your company can not back up with policy or facts.” - Lee Caraher What you’ll learn about in this episode: The increase of company activism under President Trump The Super Bowl ads that were politically charged and presented the points of view of different brands Why activism is a business decision that brands are making and the financial consequences those decisions are having, positive and negative Why you have to be able to back up what you’re advocating for Why consumers will look behind the curtain and why this matters Why you need to fully articulate your point of view Why you need to make sure your web team is ready for the outcomes of your activism Why you must thank your supporters What you have to think about for the future after entering into the activism arena Resources: Forbes article: 'Daughter' Super Bowl Ad Drives Audi Directly Into Social Values Statement, Away

We liked her so much we kept talking! Liz O’Donnell is Double Forte’s Chief Content Officer, responsible for the firm’s and its client’s digital marketing and social media strategies. She blogs regularly for the agency on the dynamic world of social media, digital communication and being heard in a very loud world. Liz is the author of Mogul, Mom & Maid: The Balancing Act of the Modern Woman, a book that picks up where other business books leave off – understanding the impact women’s personal lives have on their careers and the ways business can support working women. Her website WorkingDaughter.com supports women who are balancing caring for an aging parent and their career. She is a frequent speaker and consultant to women who want to thrive and the organizations that want to reach and mobilize women. Active in her community, Liz is a member of her town’s warrant and finance committee and co-founded Women in Democracy, a non-partisan organization that encourages women to run for local office.   “Instag

Liz O’Donnell is Double Forte’s Chief Content Officer, responsible for the firm’s and its client’s digital marketing and social media strategies. She blogs regularly for the agency on the dynamic world of social media, digital communication and being heard in a very loud world. Liz is the author of Mogul, Mom & Maid: The Balancing Act of the Modern Woman, a book that picks up where other business books leave off – understanding the impact women’s personal lives have on their careers and the ways business can support working women. Her website WorkingDaughter.com supports women who are balancing caring for an aging parent and their career. She is a frequent speaker and consultant to women who want to thrive and the organizations that want to reach and mobilize women. Active in her community, Liz is a member of her town’s warrant and finance committee and co-founded Women in Democracy, a non-partisan organization that encourages women to run for local office.   “If you’re going to do communications the way

Doris Hobbs is an accomplished, published writer, marketing and media consultant with a successful history of leading her clients to deliver business results and sale solutions. Doris understands all aspects of today’s complex media and marketing landscape given her 10+ years of experience across traditional and digital publication platforms, integrated media with a digital focus, publishing and social media marketing. Doris is recognized around the world for helping luxury brands get published in magazines, elevating social media presence, where she provides modeling, product placement, brand marketing, skilled writing, and professional photography. Her past clients have obtained multiple pages within a number of premier magazine publications which have included cover exposure, exclusive profile interviews and profitable media campaigns. She writes and models on topics of business, branding, fashion news, and style trends for a number of publications, not to mention, her own website at www.richinlovefashion.

In our final episode of January, we look back at some of the best lessons we learned this month from Ian Garlic, Sarah Anderson, and Dave Karraker.   “When is the last time you went on Twitter and just listened to what your customers are saying about your brand?” - Lee Caraher What you’ll learn about in this episode: Why listening is the biggest skill that you can teach your team The campaign Lee created just by listening to her customers at SEGA that had more traction than SEGA’s competitors without creating a new product Why you need to tell the right story at the right time (Ian Garlic) Collecting your customers’ stories (Ian Garlic) Why you can’t assume your audience is who they’ve been in the past (Sarah Anderson) Using your intuition when working with data (Sarah Anderson) Why you shouldn’t take no for an answer and should just negotiate until you get what you want (Sarah Anderson) Listening with your eyes and paying attention to how people are interacting with your product (Dave Karraker) Full inte

Lizz approaches life as she approaches every challenge, as an opportunity to be awesome and she delivers on this Sequence core value every time. As Chief Creative Officer and founder, Lizz brings her deep passion for creativity and hospitality to Team SEQ. Multi-talented with an aesthetic eye, you’ll find Lizz ensuring flawless execution, beauty and unparalleled customer service at every turn. Whether gracing the cover of Meetings & Conventions Magazine or speaking on the finer points of Creating a Run of Show for the Event Leadership Institute, Lizz is often called on to share her perspective and wisdom delivered directly with a dose of fierce wit and signature sarcasm. As a young leader in the industry, Lizz rapidly rose through the ranks at international events agency Global Events before moving on to develop her own brand of big-meets-boutique agency by founding Sequence. Lizz has dazzled clients at USA TODAY Sports, Moët Hennesy, StarKist, The Travel Channel, Toy Industry Association, Women’s Bond Cl