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Explore every episode of the podcast Be A Marketer with Dave Charest

Dive into the complete episode list for Be A Marketer with Dave Charest. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
2025 End-of-Year Recap13 nov. 202500:33:55

As 2025 wraps up, Dave Charest and Kelsi Carter take a look back at the biggest lessons from a year’s worth of Be A Marketer conversations.


From Neil Patel’s timeless marketing fundamentals to Christina Tosi’s community building and the Savannah Bananas’ fans-first approach, this episode revisits the key themes that defined 2025, and what every small business can carry forward into the new year.


Dave and Kelsi reflect on what it means to stay curious, keep experimenting, and keep showing up for your audience. Plus, a special announcement about what’s next for the show in 2026.


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today's Guests: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact


🚀 What Dave does: He is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. He helps small business owners make sense of online marketing and hosts the Be A Marketer podcast.


💡 Key quote: “Storytelling, of course, plays a big role here. Sharing your experience — the things that you’ve done and the things that you’ve helped your customers do, that’s how you bring those things to life. Because AI doesn’t have those stories, and those are how you connect with people.”


👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn


📝 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and produces the Be a Marketer podcast. She also writes the Be a Marketer newsletter for Constant Contact's LinkedIn page.

💡 Key quotes: “A lot of people don’t really like being marketed to. But if you’re providing them with some valuable content or something educational, they’re more likely to gravitate towards you.”


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Using Creative Thinking to Break Through Business Roadblocks with Paul Sloane 06 nov. 202500:26:02

When you’re stuck, sometimes the best solution is to stop thinking conventionally.

Paul Sloane, innovation expert and founder of Destination Innovation, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to show how lateral thinking can unlock breakthroughs in business. With over 20 books written and keynote speeches delivered worldwide, Paul has taught companies like Microsoft, IBM, and Disney to reframe challenges and discover fresh solutions.

In this episode, you’ll hear what lateral thinking looks like in practice, why small businesses have an edge when it comes to agility and innovation, and how Paul uses tools like Constant Contact and AI to keep his own marketing sharp after decades in business.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Paul Sloane of Destination Innovation

👤 What he does: Founder of Destination Innovation, a consultancy based in the UK that helps organizations spark creativity, challenge assumptions, and solve problems through lateral thinking and innovation workshops.


💡 Key quote: “Lateral thinking is approaching problems from a fresh direction. The best solutions often come from stepping away from the obvious path.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | X | Instagram

👋 Where to find Destination Innovation: Website | Facebook

Practical Marketing Strategies to Grow Your Business with Neil Patel30 oct. 202500:45:54

Do the fundamentals of marketing still matter in an age of AI, social, and shiny new tools?

Neil Patel, entrepreneur, bestselling author, and co-founder of NP Digital, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share why timeless fundamentals are the foundation for any successful marketing strategy. Named a top marketer by Forbes and the Wall Street Journal, Neil has helped businesses of all sizes, from Amazon to startups, drive growth by focusing on what works.

In this episode, you’ll hear why Neil believes in “search everywhere optimization,” how ugly marketing often outperforms polished campaigns, and why the fundamentals earn you the right to experiment with trends.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Neil Patel of NP Digital


👤 What he does: Co-founder of NP Digital, a global digital marketing agency with offices worldwide. New York Times bestselling author and one of the world’s most recognized marketers.

💡 Key quote: “If you do the fundamentals, you earn the right to try the shiny objects.”

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | YouTube

👋 Where to find NP Digital: Website | Facebook | LinkedIn

Preparing Your Business for the Future with Dr. Ja-Naé Duane23 oct. 202500:50:32

What if the biggest advantage your business has is actually its size?

Dr. Ja-Naé Duane, behavioral scientist, entrepreneur, and co-author of Super Shifts, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to help small businesses navigate the structural and technological changes shaping the future. A longtime innovation leader (and former member of Constant Contact’s own team), Ja-Naé works with organizations worldwide to anticipate change before it hits.


In this episode, you’ll hear why adaptability is small business owners’ superpower, how to prepare for AI-driven shifts in customer behavior, and what you can do now to stay competitive tomorrow.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Dr. Ja-Naé Duane


👤 What she does: Behavioral scientist, entrepreneur, and co-author of Super Shifts. Former Constant Contact innovation team member, now helping leaders worldwide embrace change and prepare for the future.

💡 Key quote: “The size of your business is your greatest advantage, because you can adapt faster than anyone else.”

👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedIn | X | Instagram

How Small Businesses Can Stand Out and Scale Using Email Marketing with Kunal Madan16 oct. 202500:31:42

What does it take to scale an $80M global business while still staying ahead of the competition?

Kunal Madan, co-founder of Amarra, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share how he and his brother grew a formalwear design house into one of the largest in the world, with dresses in over 800 boutiques worldwide. From zero marketing experience to mastering email, design, and relentless testing, Kunal’s story shows what’s possible when you refuse to settle.

In this episode, you’ll hear why balancing marketing to both wholesalers and end consumers has been key to growth, how beautiful imagery and strong email campaigns keep Amarra top of mind, and why email data like open rates and clicks help Kunal close more sales.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Kunal Madan of Amarra

👤 What he does: Co-founder of Amarra, a global formalwear design house and wholesaler based in New Jersey, distributing to boutiques across the US, Canada, UK, and Australia.

💡 Key quote: “Even if you have the best product, it doesn’t mean you’ll make sales. Marketing is the biggest component.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Amarra: Website | TikTok | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Engaging Your Community and Growing Your Cause with Lisa Franco09 oct. 202500:52:24

How do you take a nonprofit that relies entirely on donations and turn it into a thriving community hub for wildlife, education, and conservation?

Lisa Franco, Director of Development at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge in New Jersey, joins the Be a Marketer podcast to share how she combines a marketing background with a passion for wildlife to grow support, increase donations, and strengthen community ties.

In this episode, you’ll hear how Lisa balances fundraising with education, why storytelling is her most powerful tool for driving engagement, and how Cedar Run uses creative approaches like “Weddings in the Wild” to reach new generations of supporters. Lisa also explains how Constant Contact helps them segment audiences, simplify giving, and keep donors connected to the impact of their contributions.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Lisa Franco of Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge


👤 What she does: Director of Development at Woodford Cedar Run Wildlife Refuge, the oldest and busiest wildlife hospital in New Jersey, which also serves as a sanctuary and education center. Lisa oversees fundraising, donor stewardship, communications, and special events.


💡 Key quote: “The best marketing is just being genuine. For us, it’s easy because our mission is a good cause. There’s nothing bad about saving animals and protecting the environment.”

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Cedar Run: Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok

How to Scale Your Franchise Without Losing Your Culture with Marcus King02 oct. 202500:42:24

What does it take to grow from 100 to nearly 400 franchise locations in just five years, without losing sight of people first?

Marcus King, Global CEO of House of Colour, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share how the UK-founded style and image consultancy scaled internationally by balancing empathy with structure. With operations in seven countries and rapid growth in the U.S., Marcus explains how the franchise has managed to maintain its personal, one-to-one impact while equipping stylists with the systems they need to thrive.

In this episode, you’ll hear why empathy and structure are the secret ingredients to scaling a people-first business, how House of Colour empowers solo entrepreneurs with marketing and operational support, and why Marcus sees email as a critical channel for maintaining brand consistency and driving ROI. You’ll also learn how the company uses community, culture, and communication to turn growth into something sustainable.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Marcus King of House of Colour


👤 What he does: Global CEO of House of Colour, an international franchise helping people discover their best colors and styles, with operations in seven countries and rapid growth in the United States.

💡 Key quote: “Empathy and structure are the secret ingredients to scaling a people-first business.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find House of Colour: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook

Building a Social Audience That Grows Your Business with Evan Kirstel25 sept. 202500:27:42

Evan Kirstel, tech influencer and founder of eViRa Health, has built one of the largest B2B social audiences by showing up consistently, curating conversations, and turning digital presence into measurable influence. He joins the Be a Marketer podcast to explain why small businesses shouldn’t obsess over going viral and what really matters when building an audience that drives results.

In this episode, you’ll hear how showing up as a person, not just a logo, helps build trust online, why consistency and community outweigh follower counts, and what Evan recommends if you only have 15 minutes a day to market your business. You’ll also discover why documenting your journey, highlighting others, and focusing on trust over trends can be the difference between noise and real impact.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Evan Kirstel of eViRa Health

👤 What he does: Tech influencer, B2B content creator, and founder of eViRa Health, a Boston-based agency that helps executives and companies grow influence and customers through social media.

💡 Key quote: “It’s not about the number of followers, it’s about being a trusted source of content.”

👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | X

👋 Where to find eViRa Health: Website | LinkedIn

Protecting Your Business and Intellectual Property with Peter Nieves18 sept. 202500:59:13

What happens when you build a law firm designed around education first, not billable hours?

Peter Nieves, founder of Nieves IP Law Group, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share how he turned decades of intellectual property experience into a business that helps small businesses, startups, and creators protect what they’ve built—without getting lost in legal jargon or surprise fees.


In this episode, you’ll hear how Peter went from running a top-ranked IP department at a large firm to launching his own practice and educational platform, why small business owners need to understand the risks of AI-generated content, and the most common intellectual property mistakes entrepreneurs make (and how to avoid them).

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Peter Nieves of Nieves IP Law Group


👤 What he does: Founder of Nieves IP Law Group, a New Hampshire–based law firm and educational institution dedicated to making intellectual property law accessible for small businesses, startups, and creators.

💡 Key quote: “If you get to the top of the mountain and you’re alone, you did something wrong. Somebody should be at the top with you to enjoy the view.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Facebook

👋 Where to find Nieves IP Law Group: Website | LinkedIn

How to Boost Engagement with Data and Segmentation with Gloria Hammond11 sept. 202500:50:04

How do you keep a member-driven organization relevant year-round without overwhelming people? Gloria Hammond, Director of Communications at the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA) Canada, pulls back the curtain on how a tiny but mighty team serves golf course owners and operators across the country. She walks through the pillars they run on (advocacy, research, education, and member marketing) and how smart segmentation keeps the right messages in front of the right folks. 


Gloria also shares the system behind their communications calendar, why she caps weekly sends to avoid fatigue, and how email is the primary engine that drives traffic and action. If you’re juggling limited bandwidth and big goals, her playbook for consistency, measurement, and member value is refreshingly doable.


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Gloria Hammond of NGCOA Canada

👤 What she does: Director of Communications at National Golf Course Owner’s Association Canada in Ottawa. She’s been with the organization since 2006, starting in events before moving into her current role in 2018.

💡 Key quote: “Two minutes after that communication goes out, I have my first survey response.”

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find NGCOA Canada: Website | LinkedIn | X | Facebook

From Rivers to ROl: Turning Passion Into a Profitable Business with Mark Soanes04 sept. 202500:41:09

What happens when you stop theorizing and fully commit? Mark Soanes turned a love for the outdoors into a leadership training company and has used email marketing to fuel growth for nearly two decades with Call of the Wild, a leadership and team development company in South Wales, UK, operating for 26+ years and known for its “green classroom” outdoor approach 

Mark’s team uses the “green classroom” approach, which takes learning outside so people actually apply what they learn. That hands-on style has helped thousands of professionals communicate better, collaborate more, and see measurable ROI. 

We also dig into how he blends segmentation, metrics, and a touch of AI to keep relationships warm and content consistent, plus the simple “cash on the table” test he still uses to decide which marketing bets are worth it. 

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Mark Soanes of Call of the Wild

👤 What he does: Director at Call of the Wild, a leadership and team development company in South Wales, UK, known for experiential learning in the outdoors. 

💡 Key quote: “No point doing it if you’re not tracking the results, because that’s the key. That’s why you’re doing it.”

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Call of the Wild: Website | LinkedIn | X | Facebook

Grow Your Business by Showing Up as Yourself with Christine Gritmon28 août 202500:48:22

Your personality might just be your most powerful marketing tool.

Christine Gritmon, personal brand strategist and host of Let’s Talk About Brand, helps entrepreneurs build confidence in showing up as themselves, and turning that into their biggest business advantage.


In this episode, Christine shares why your quirks are your magic, how to build trust faster by being yourself, and why email is still your strongest owned asset. Whether you’re just starting out or ready to elevate your personal brand, her insights will help you show up more confidently and connect more authentically.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Christine Gritmon of Let’s Talk About Brand Podcast

👤 What she does: Christine Gritmon is a personal brand strategist, international speaker, and host of Let’s Talk About Brand. She’s worked with business owners and marketers worldwide, helping them use personal branding, storytelling, and content to grow their businesses with confidence.

💡 Key quote: “People connect with people, not job titles. Stop hiding the things that make you memorable.”


👋 Where to find her:
Website | Podcast | LinkedIn | Instagram | YouTube

How to Find Clarity and Confidence in Your Marketing with Cindy Clearwater21 août 202500:56:48

What happens when you stop chasing likes and start building real connections?

Cindy Clearwater, also known as Cindy Leigh, turned her passion for island life into a thriving multi-channel business by focusing on what really works: email, authentic content, and showing up as herself.

In this episode, Cindy shares how she built My St. Croix VI into a trusted travel guide, why 95% of her product sales come from her email list, and how she uses one business as a testing ground for all the others.


If you’ve ever felt like you’re spinning your wheels on social media, this conversation will remind you that consistency, personality, and email marketing are the real game-changers.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Cindy Clearwater of Cindy Leigh Media and My St. Croix.VI


👤 What she does: Cindy Clearwater is the creative director and content strategist for Cindy Leigh Media. She runs Mystcroix.vi, a popular island travel guide based in the U.S. Virgin Islands, and is the founder of IDM Strategy Lab. Cindy is also preparing to launch Explorinista, a platform for Gen X women who love to travel smart.


💡 Key quote: “People want connection. When I started sharing my own stories, my email list became my strongest marketing tool.”


👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram

👋 Where to find My St. Croix.VI: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram

The Future of Small Business Marketing and How to Keep Up with Frank Vella14 août 202500:36:29

Small businesses thrive when they focus on what they do best, and today's guest believes marketing should never get in their way.


Frank Vella, CEO of Constant Contact, understands firsthand the complexities small business owners face every day. Having started his journey by helping a friend run marketing campaigns through Constant Contact, he now leads the company with a deep appreciation for the challenges entrepreneurs navigate.


In this episode, Frank shares why staying obsessively close to your customers is crucial, how technology can simplify marketing complexity, and why Constant Contact remains passionately committed to small businesses. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by marketing, Frank’s insights will show you how to leverage tools and relationships to create lasting success.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Frank Vella of Constant Contact


👤 What he does:
Frank Vella is the CEO of Constant Contact. With a rich background from companies like Microsoft, Xerox, and General Electric, Frank now leads Constant Contact, ensuring the company remains a dedicated partner in the growth and success of small businesses.

💡 Key quote: "Small businesses are going to be successful when they focus on what they do best. And our job is to make sure that we take as little time away from what they do best."

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

Ways to Turn Loyal Customers into Your Best Marketing Channel with Gail Goodman07 août 202500:57:07

When you think about successful tech companies, you might picture Silicon Valley giants or venture-backed unicorns. But what about an email marketing platform that's thrived for three decades?


Gail Goodman
, the former CEO of Constant Contact, helped build a company that defied the odds in an industry where many thought their business model wouldn't work. By focusing on customer needs and creating a strong company culture, she turned this skepticism into a 30-year success story.

"What I kept from all of it was to stay close to your customer," Gail emphatizes. "Understand the problem you're solving for your customer and stay focused on what they need to successfully use your product."


In this episode, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, reconnects with Gail to explore how to build something that truly lasts. They discuss the power of repeat business, why resilience matters when hitting plateaus, and how staying obsessively close to your customers drives sustainable growth, even when others say it can't be done.

Listen to discover practical ways to build stronger customer relationships and create a business that stands the test of time.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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Meet Today’s Guest: Gail Goodman of Entrepreneurship for All

👤 What she does: Gail is the former CEO of Constant Contact and current mentor, board member, and chair of Entrepreneurship for All, a nonprofit dedicated to helping underrepresented entrepreneurs grow their businesses. She led Constant Contact for over 16 years, taking the company from startup to successful industry leader in small business marketing.


💡 Key quote: "The biggest advice is always stay close to your customer and notice how they are, how whatever they do that is related to you is changing and then try to get ahead of it."


👋 Where to find her: Website |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter 


👋 Where to find Entrepreneurship for All: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Instagram | TikTok

How to Build a Brand that Lasts with Mathew Knowles31 juil. 202500:56:16

What can entrepreneurs learn from someone who built global brands in both medical tech and music?


Dr. Knowles, founder of Music World Entertainment and former sales exec at Xerox and Johnson & Johnson, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to share how he applied the same marketing fundamentals, audience insight, branding, and process, to launch Destiny’s Child, grow a multi-million-dollar hair salon business, and teach entrepreneurship around the world.


In this episode, you’ll hear how he made the leap from corporate sales to the entertainment industry, why “practicing failure” was core to his management style, and what every small business can gain from learning the psychology behind entrepreneurship.


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today’s Guest: Mathew Knowles of Music World Entertainment

👤 What he does: Dr. Knowles is an award-winning music executive, entrepreneur, author, professor, and cancer survivor. He’s best known for managing Destiny’s Child and Beyoncé’s early solo career, but his journey began in corporate America with a 20-year run at Xerox, Philips Medical Systems, and Johnson & Johnson.


He later launched Music World Entertainment in Houston, Texas, and grew it into one of the world’s leading music and entertainment companies, landing major brand deals, developing new talent, and expanding into fashion, haircare, and education. Dr. Knowles now travels the world teaching the next generation of business leaders through speaking and mentorship.


💡 Key quote: “If you don’t believe in yourself, how can you expect anybody else to believe in you?”


👋 Where to find him: Website |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Instagram


👋 Where to find Music World Entertainment: LinkedIn | Instagram 

How to Drive Awareness, Loyalty, and Revenue with Jayson Alexander and Shane DiMantova24 juil. 202500:43:33

At 18, Jayson Alexander wasn't racing go-karts or growing up in a motorsports family. He was in his bedroom, learning to drive through video games. Today, he's a NASCAR driver and founder of Jayson Alexander Racing—running a full-fledged brand while juggling college, lacrosse, and military service.


In this episode of Be A Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks with Jayson and his teammate, Shane DiMantova, who leads PR and social media for the team. Together, they've built a loyal fan base by treating their racing operation like a business, from segmenting email lists to planning content calendars around class schedules.


"Even when we're not at the track, we still try to build it up as much as possible," Jayson says. "I see a lot of drivers that, if they're at the track, great, they're posting. If they're not, they're just gone. We want to make you think we’re racing every weekend—even if we're off for a month." Shane adds, "Without Constant Contact, we'd be chickens with our heads cut off.”


They share how they use automation, segmentation, and SMS to grow fan engagement, boost merch sales, and pitch sponsors—even on off weeks. Their approach proves that with the right tools and a plan, small teams can move fast and grow big.

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


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Meet Today's Guests: Jayson Alexander and Shane DiMantova from Jayson Alexander Racing


Jayson Alexander

👤 What he does: Jayson Alexander is a NASCAR driver, entrepreneur, and full-time college student. He's the founder of Jayson Alexander Racing and co-founder of Premier Performance Group, where he helps fellow drivers land sponsorships and navigate professional racing careers, all while serving in the military and playing collegiate lacrosse.


💡 Key quote:  "There's so much more than just showing up and driving. We have everything. We have the social media side, we have the sponsorship side, we have the marketing side."


👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram


Shane DiMantova

👤 What he does: Shane DiMantova is a sports management student, freelance designer, and Director of PR and Social Media at Jayson Alexander Racing. He helps run the team's day-to-day marketing, from email campaigns to giveaways, bringing fan engagement and brand identity to the forefront of their growing NASCAR presence.

💡 Key quote: "Without Constant Contact, we'd be a bunch of people running around like chickens with their heads cut off, for sure. We'd be all over the place, not knowing what to do, trying to build up our brand."


👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | Instagram

The Power of Knowing Your Market with Emma Easton17 juil. 202500:57:40

Does your business feel like it’s constantly doing all the things but not seeing the results you want?


Emma Easton, founder and “chief bolloxologist” of Business Bollox, joins the Be A Marketer podcast to talk about the trap of overcomplicating marketing and why simplicity and clarity are the real secret weapons for small businesses.


In this episode, Emma and Dave dig into the pressure business owners feel to show up everywhere and post constantly, and how that noise can actually get in the way of meaningful connection. You’ll hear why marketing needs to start with your business model, how to reframe what “strategy” really means, and how to get your time and focus back.


Whether you're new to marketing or feeling stretched thin, this episode is a refreshing reminder that doing less but doing it with intention can actually lead to more.


Additional Resources:

Meet Today’s Guest: Emma Easton

👤 What she does: Emma Easton is the founder and “chief bolloxologist” of Business Bollox, a marketing strategy company based in the UK. With a background in corporate PR and small business branding, Emma now helps entrepreneurs cut through the noise and grow their businesses with clarity and confidence.


💡 Key quote: “You don't need to be doing everything. You just need to be doing the right things.”


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn 


👋 Where to find Business Bollox: Website | LinkedIn 


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Building a Marketing Ecosystem for Black-Owned Businesses with David Derryck10 juil. 202500:54:29

David Derryck, founder and CEO of BuyBlack.org, came across a powerful quote: "People always talk about what would they have done during the time of slavery or during civil rights era. And the answer is, whatever you're doing right now."

That moment sparked what would become BuyBlack.org, a platform that has grown from 10,000 to over 50,000 listings of Black-owned businesses across the country. What started as David's passion project in 2022 is now a comprehensive ecosystem helping consumers discover and support Black-owned businesses while providing those businesses with marketing tools and resources.

"Our mission just as an organization is to drive traffic and revenue to black owned businesses," he explains in this episode of Be a Marketer.


What marketing strategies are working for BuyBlack.org? In this episode, David and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explore how the platform uses email automation, digital advertising co-ops, and community engagement both online and offline.

Tune in to hear how David built partnerships with organizations like Constant Contact, why certification matters for Black-owned businesses, and how a parade float became one of his most meaningful marketing moments.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: David Derryck of BuyBlack

☕ What he does: David Derryck is the founder and CEO of BuyBlack.org, a mission-driven platform based in Oakland, California that helps consumers find and support Black-owned businesses across the country. What started as a passion project during the pandemic has grown into an ecosystem with over 50,000 listings and counting. 


💡 Key quote: “I think there's a clear recognition in this country that we've been on. Like wealth inequality exists, revenue inequality exists, and I think there's a clear recognition that people want to fix that.”


👋 Where to find David: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Buy Black: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Why Community Matters More Than Content with Andrea Marquez03 juil. 202500:49:40

Andrea Marquez didn't set out to "just" launch a podcast. She built a fully branded experience, with research, structure, and intention behind every episode.

As the host and Senior Producer of This Is Small Business, Amazon's podcast for entrepreneurs, Andrea treats the show like a product. That means creating branding guidelines, defining listener personas, building workflows, and committing to quality long before the first mic check.


"We make sure to stay true to both of these," Andrea explains. "We're thinking about what our listener will take away from the story we're telling, while staying authentic to the person or business featured in the episode—our guest." That dual focus shapes every decision, from production to promotion.


In this episode, Andrea joins Be A Marketer host Dave Charest to talk about why strong creative work starts with strategy. She shares how frameworks like "the five whys" and "test, fail, learn fast" help founders focus, why social media might not be the best marketing channel for a podcast, and how showing up consistently builds trust and community.

Additional Resources


Meet Today's Guest: Andrea Marquez from This is Small Business 


👤 What she does: Andrea Marquez is the Senior Producer and Host of This Is Small Business, Amazon's award-winning podcast for entrepreneurs. A first-generation Latina with a background in advertising, she built the show from the ground up to spotlight real-world business stories and provide practical guidance for small business owners.

💡 Key quote: "Everything starts from understanding who you're telling the story to and why they want to hear it, all the way to every single day of recording, guest chasing, scheduling, etc."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Website | Instagram | TikTok | 

👋 Where to find This Is Small Business: Spotify |  Apple Podcasts | Amazon

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

What an NFL Running Back Can Teach You About Marketing with Austin Ekeler22 mai 202500:41:40

From Colorado ranch life to NFL stardom, Austin Ekeler has built multiple successful ventures through resilience and strategic marketing. In this episode, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explores how the Washington Commanders running back applies the same determination to his business ventures as he shows on game day.

As founder and CEO of the Austin Ekeler Foundation and Eksperience content platform, Austin shares how his early marketing efforts yielded diminishing returns until he discovered the power of audience segmentation. "What makes marketing successful? Consistency," Austin explains as he reveals how automated messaging and targeted communication transformed his business relationships.

Austin candidly discusses his $1.2 million tech investment misstep and how that painful lesson shaped his more measured approach to business growth. His marketing journey began with simple email collection during his Twitch streaming days and gradually evolved as he expanded into multiple ventures, including real estate projects and an investment fund.


Whether renovating high school weight rooms through his foundation or helping athletes connect with fans via Eksperience, Austin demonstrates how proper audience segmentation builds authentic relationships. His methodical approach offers a practical blueprint: start small, test strategies, learn from setbacks, and thoughtfully implement technology to maintain personal connections at scale - a balance of automation and hands-on engagement that any business can adapt for their marketing efforts.

Additional resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Austin Ekeler of the Washington Commanders and the Austin Ekeler Foundation

🏈 What he does: Austin Ekeler is the current running back for the Washington Commanders. He's also an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and founder of multiple business ventures, including the Austin Ekeler Foundation, which renovates weight rooms in high schools nationwide, and Eksperience, a content management platform for athletes and organizations. 

💡 Key quote: "I think it's important to know that the journey doesn't stop and it's not an unsuccessful journey if your business is not successful. I think it's only an unsuccessful journey in the business world, entrepreneurial world, if you don't take the lessons that are learned from your wins and from your losses."

👋 Where to find him: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram


👋 Where to find Eksperience: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Austin Ekeler Foundation: Website | Instagram | Facebook 


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Ask Dave: 2025 National Small Business Week Edition20 mai 202501:11:25

What happens when you take your marketing questions directly to the source, live and in person? You get real, unfiltered conversations with small business owners tackling everything from email strategy to AI content creation.


To celebrate National Small Business Week, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, hit the road for live Q&As at Small Business Expo events in Boston and NYC. In this special “Ask Dave” edition of Be a Marketer, he answers real questions from real business owners on the spot.


In this conversation, you’ll hear insights on how to get started with marketing when you’re new to it, ways to clean up and grow your email list, how introverts can build a content strategy that feels natural, and how to use automation, segmentation, and AI to stay consistent without burning out. Whether you’re running a solo business or building a growing team, you’ll walk away with honest, tactical advice straight from the field.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest:

This episode features a wide range of small business owners who stepped up to the mic during our live Q&A sessions at the Constant Contact booth. From marketing agencies and HR consultants to spa owners, content creators, and market researchers, these entrepreneurs brought their most pressing marketing questions to the table.


In their conversation with Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, each offered a different perspective on the small business journey. You’ll hear thoughtful questions about finding your audience, creating content that feels true to who you are, staying consistent with marketing efforts, and making technology work for you, not the other way around.


As Sophie put it: “I’m trying to figure out the best way to connect with people when I’m stuck in that introverted way.” That moment captured exactly what this episode is about, meeting business owners where they are, and helping them build confidence and clarity with every step forward.


These conversations were recorded live at the Small Business Expo events in Boston and NYC.


Aleah Carter: Marketing professional at Jillian Circus, a full-service digital marketing agency based in Long Island, NY 

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


David Williams: Founder of Triton Talent Solutions, an HR consulting firm focused on recruiting for small businesses 

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn


Sophie Lee: Founder of a multimedia production company

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


Tatiana Guerrero: Director at Diamond Aesthetics Academy and co-owner of Diamond Skin and Body Spa in the North Shore area 

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


Alice Sungurov: Freelance content and marketing consultant exploring a business in art licensing 

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


James Saunders: Founder of EventAndTravel.com, a long-time event and travel professional based in NYC

👋 Where to find him: Instagram


Rob Hebron: Commercial real estate broker and third-generation partner in a family-owned firm

👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn


Martha Hayward: Founder of Bird Dog Insights, a market research company helping businesses better understand their customers

👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Smart Ways to Use Al as a Solopreneur with Mike Allton15 mai 202500:52:53

Four hours per week. That's all Mike Allton needs to run a content machine that includes newsletters, blogs, and multiple podcasts. As an AI strategist, podcast host, and chief storyteller at Agorapulse, Mike has mastered the art of efficiency.


His secret? A strategic blend of AI tools and email marketing automation that turns one piece of content into many, all while building deeper connections with his 45,000+ subscribers.


"AI is not a tool. It's a technology. It's an underpinning to everything that we're doing today. It's like electricity or the Internet," Mike explains on this episode of Be A Marketer.

In his conversation with Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, Mike reveals his approach to creating high-quality content at scale and how his open rates increased by 100% after switching to Constant Contact.

He also shares practical ways to use AI as a collaborative partner in marketing and explains why welcome emails and segmentation are crucial to email marketing success.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Mike Allton of The Social Media Hat and Agorapulse


🎯 What he does:
Mike Allton is an AI strategist and podcast host at The Social Media Hat, as well as the chief storyteller at Agorapulse, a social media management tool. He has spent over a decade in digital marketing, helping marketers make sense of blogging, SEO, social media, and now AI.

💡 Key quote: "We are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, the AI revolution, where everything we do and know as a society is literally changing. And that's not just hype, that's actually what's happening right now."

👋 Where to find him: X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn  | YouTube | Instagram  


👋 Where to find The Social Media Hat: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn


👋 Where to find The Agorapulse: Website | Instagram | X, formerly known as Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

What Hurts and Helps Your Email Deliverability with Jennifer Nespola Lantz08 mai 202500:43:27

Have you ever wondered why some of your emails land in the inbox while others mysteriously vanish? The secret to successful email marketing isn't just what you send, it's who you're sending to. The foundation of effective email marketing starts with how you build and maintain your list.

Jennifer Nespola Lantz, VP of Deliverability and Industry Relations at Kickbox, brings over 15 years of expertise to this critical aspect of digital marketing. What began as an accidental career shift has blossomed into a passion for improving email deliverability and helping businesses connect reliably with their customers.

"Consent is number one. And this consent needs to be clear and conspicuous so that when somebody gives you their address, they know exactly who they're giving it to, what they're getting in return, and how often," Jennifer emphasizes on this episode of Be a Marketer.

On this episode, Jennifer joins host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact to explore why growing your email list the right way matters more than growing it fast, how to protect your list from bots and bad data, and what email verification does for your business's reputation.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Jennifer Nespola Lantz of Kickbox

✉️ What she does: Jennifer is the Vice President of Deliverability and Industry Relations at Kickbox, an email verification and deliverability service based in Texas. She leads Kickbox's consulting team, helping businesses improve the quality of their email lists and ensure their messages get delivered. She's been doing email marketing for over 15 years.


💡 Key quote:
"An unsubscribe, though, is a much more desirable action than a spam complaint. I think we tend to forget that there are people on the other end of that email."

👋 Where to find Jennifer:  X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Blog


👋 Where to find Kickbox: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | GitHub | X, formerly known as Twitter


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Building a Passion-Fueled Business with Jason Shron01 mai 202500:51:11

A section of a train in his basement isn't the most interesting thing about Jason Shron. It's how he turned an obsession with model trains into a thriving international business — simply by being himself. In fact, he left his PhD program in art history to pursue his passion full-time.

Jason, two decades later, is the president of Rapido Trains Inc., Canada's largest manufacturer of high-end model trains, with operations in North America and the UK.

Rapido is built on a foundation of attention to detail and radical transparency. "If we screw up, we just tell people," Jason explains on this episode of Be a Marketer. "Being totally straight with customers has transformed how they connect with our brand."

What can small business owners learn from a company that achieves 81% email open rates? On this episode, Jason and host Dave Charest unpack how obsessive honesty drives customer loyalty, why embracing your passion is marketing magic, and the incredible ROI of knowing your audience.


Tune in to discover how your business can harness Constant Contact tools to build deeper customer connections and resonate with your audience.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Jason Shron of Rapido Trains Inc.

🚂 What he does: Jason Shron is the president of Rapido Trains Inc., Canada's largest manufacturer of high-end model trains and accessories. After leaving his PhD program in art history to pursue his passion, he built an international company with operations in North America and the UK. Fun fact: He has a 20-foot section of a real train in his basement.

💡 Key quote: "We want to tell people what's going on, and there will be people who are not reasonable… But that honesty, I think, is very important. And the newsletters are a great way. It's a direct way to communicate with the end customer."


👋 Where to find Jason: LinkedIn | Instagram


👋 Where to find Rapido Trains Inc.: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

How to Build and Manage a Healthier Email List with Constant Contact24 avr. 202500:35:42

Building your business on social media is like renting a house—you've decorated it beautifully, but the landlord can change the rules anytime. Your email list, however, is property you own outright. This distinction can make or break a small business when platforms change algorithms or face potential bans.

In this episode, Dave Charest speaks with Constant Contact product leaders Jesus Flores, Product Manager focused on audience growth; Ryan Burke, Director of Product specializing in small business growth; and Mike Crawford, Senior Product Manager responsible for the contacts experience. They discuss the risks of relying solely on social media for marketing and why building a contact list you actually own is the foundation of sustainable marketing.


"Owning your audience means having a direct line of communication with people who have explicitly shown interest in your brand, typically through an email list without a dependency on a governing social platform," explains Jesus. "It's your list, you own it. You can carry it from platform to platform."

The team discusses how businesses can convert social followers into email subscribers, introduces Constant Contact's new Lead Magnet tool, and explains how contact data helps create more effective marketing campaigns.

Whether you're just starting to build your contact list or looking to better leverage your existing contacts, this episode offers actionable strategies to help turn audience growth into business growth.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guests: Jesus Flores, Ryan Burke, and Mike Crawford of Constant Contact 


Jesus Flores
 


👨‍💼 Who he is:
Jesus is a Product Manager at Constant Contact who works on the audience growth team. His entire initiative is focused on helping small businesses and nonprofits grow their audience through multiple channels. He specializes in strategies that convert social media followers into owned contacts through website traffic, social media platforms, and in-person interactions. 

💡 Key quote: "That engaged email list allows you to nurture those leads, build customer loyalty, and directly promote your products or services without the reliancy on social platforms that you just candidly don't own."

👋 Where to find Jesus: LinkedIn


Ryan Burke 

👨‍💼 Who he is: Ryan is a Director of Product at Constant Contact focusing on small business growth. He helps businesses early in their journey get up and running, and hit "day zero" when they're ready to operate. Ryan has been at Constant Contact for about 18 months but brings almost 15 years of experience in product and digital marketing. 


💡 Key quote:
"It's a marathon, not a sprint. So I think there's trying, there's changing, there's pivoting and being comfortable with that kind of ambiguity that how you're working and how you're running and launching and growing your business, it takes time."

👋 Where to find Ryan: LinkedIn


Mike Crawford 

👨‍💼 Who he is: Mike is a Senior Product Manager at Constant Contact responsible for the contacts experience since 2021. He focuses on helping businesses manage their contacts and all the data around them, working to make Constant Contact the source of truth for contact information. Mike specializes in leveraging contact data to power more targeted marketing campaigns. 


💡 Key quote:
"We see a lot of return on users doing a segmented send rather than just a bulk list send. They get better opens, they get better clicks. So that would be the first step I would take."

👋 Where to find Mike: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Pinterest | LinkedIn | Podcast


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Build a Fans-First Business From the Ground Up with the Savannah Bananas 17 avr. 202500:48:14

Imagine a baseball team that throws out the rulebook—not just for the game, but for how they do business. Meet the Savannah Bananas, a team that's less about scoring runs and more about sparking joy.


Led by owner Jesse Cole, this isn't your typical sports team. As Jesse puts it, "We have no interest in being a billion-dollar business, but we want to create a billion fans." The Bananas have grown into a fan-driven phenomenon built on a simple but radical idea: put fans first and never stop entertaining. When most teams chase sponsorship dollars, the Bananas ditch ads and create experiences people can't stop talking about.


Their approach is delightfully unconventional. They've removed third-party ticketing fees, sent handwritten thank-you notes, and featured players who might break into dance mid-game. Marketing that doesn't feel like marketing. 


The result? They recently sold out their first NFL stadium, are building a passionate fanbase, and proving that when you truly put people first, the money follows. Join Jesse, Kara, Carson, and host Dave Charest for this masterclass in customer experience that any business can learn from.


Additional resources


Meet Today's Guests: Jesse Cole, Kara Heater and Carson Bowen of Savannah Bananas


🍌 What Jesse does: Jesse owns the Savannah Bananas and founded Fans First Entertainment. A former baseball GM turned showrunner, he reinvented the sport by blending Broadway-style entertainment with baseball, building a loyal fanbase and a sellout sensation that puts fans at the center.


💡 Key quote: "We will never put added fees on people. We will never do things just for money. We will never take a sponsor just to take money. We will never do any of that. If we can do things to be a better experience for fans, we'll always try to find a way to say yes to that."


👋🏼 Where to find Jesse: Linkedin | Instagram | X, formerly known as Twitter

⚾ What Kara does: Kara is the Vice President of Marketing at the Savannah Bananas. Starting as an intern in 2018, she now leads a cross-functional team that turns live moments into viral content. Her strategy: tell stories that fans love, without pushing product.


💡 Key quote: "We never want to be the people who are sending 52 emails a day, and they have to unsubscribe 82 times to try and finally get rid of them out of their inbox. That's not us. We want people to get the information that they've asked for."


👋🏼 Where to find Kara: Linkedin | X, formerly known as Twitter

🎫 What Carson does: Carson is the Director of Ticket Experience for the Savannah Bananas. After six years with the Wilmington Sharks, he joined the Bananas in 2020 to rethink ticketing from the ground up—building a system that removes friction and centers joy in every detail.


💡 Key quote: "It's not just buying a QR code; it’s buying a family outing. It's celebrating someone's birthday. These things represent something. It's not just buying a ticket."


👋🏼 Where to find Carson: LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter


👋🏼 Where to find Savannah Bananas: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter | Youtube | TikTok



If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to
RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


How Two Brothers Built a Marketing Agency from Scratch with Dan Knowlton10 avr. 202500:48:03

Dan Knowlton didn’t plan to build a top-performing content agency by dressing up in wigs and fake mustaches — but that's what helped him stand out.


In 2015, Dan and his brother Lloyd launched their marketing agency, Knowlton, from a spare room in their parents' house. No roadmap. No fancy setup. Just two brothers figuring it out as they went. What changed everything? Defining clear roles, setting long-term goals, and creating content people actually want to watch.

"It has taken us so much longer to get to where we are now than I thought at the start point," Dan says, reflecting on the patience and persistence it took to grow a sustainable business.

In this episode of Be A Marketer, host Dave Charest talks with Dan about growing from chaos to clarity. They unpack how to align your marketing with your strengths, what most small businesses get wrong about content, and why measuring results will sharpen your focus.


You’ll hear how Dan treats his agency like a client, how one strategy helped them double in size, and what Dan thinks every small business owner should start doing today.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Dan Knowlton of Knowlton Marketing


☕ What he does: Dan Knowlton is the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Knowlton, a UK-based marketing agency he started with his brother in 2015. The duo is known for blending creativity with strategy to create content people actually enjoy. Knowlton has worked with major brands like the BBC, Nestlé, and Constant Contact.


💡 Key quote: "No one cares about your brand. All they care about is problems they've got and how they can most effectively solve them."


👋 Where to find Dan: X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Podcast


👋 Where to find Knowlton Marketing: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Art, Story, and the Business of Wonder with Gregangelo Herrera and Team03 avr. 202500:57:31

The Gregangelo Museum wasn’t supposed to exist. It began as a run-down rental in San Francisco — a place where artist Gregangelo Herrera patched collapsing rooms with found materials, turning repairs into creative experiments. One of those repairs became a full-blown art installation. One became two. Then three. Forty years later, the house is a city landmark, and the team behind it is reshaping what immersive art and marketing can look like.


In this episode, host Dave Charest talks with Gregangelo Herrera, Artistic Director of the Gregangelo Museum and Velocity Arts & Entertainment; Angelica Irreno, Artist Manager and Marketing Coordinator; and Marcelo Defreitas, Creative Director. Together, they share how they transformed a private home into an immersive storytelling experience — and how that became their most effective marketing tool. “We didn’t sit down and make a strategy,” Marcelo says. “By doing it, we reinvented.”

Tune in to hear how they leaned into storytelling over ads, how this small team markets through meaning, not money, and how their outdoor art garden helped them stay open during the pandemic.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guests: Gregangelo Herrera, Angelica Irreno, and Marcelo Defreitas of Gregangelo Museum and Velocity Arts & Entertainment.

🎨 What Gregangelo does: Gregangelo is the Artistic Director of the Gregangelo Museum in San Francisco. A lifelong artist and performer, he founded the immersive museum experience inside his own home, blending storytelling, installation art, and cultural rituals. He’s also the founder of Velocity Arts and Entertainment.

💡 Key quote: “My form of marketing has always been to show up and invite people in.”

👋 Where to find Gregangelo: Facebook | LinkedIn

🎭 What Marcelo does: Marcelo is the Creative Director at the Gregangelo Museum. He brings a background in nonprofit leadership, events, and design. After hiring Gregangelo’s troupe for an event years ago, Marcelo joined the team and now leads strategy, operations, and creative direction for the museum and its experiences.

💡 Key quote: “We’re not just performing anymore. We’re helping people reconnect—with themselves and with each other.”

👋 Where to find Marcelo: LinkedIn



📱 What Angelica does: Angelica is the Artist Manager and Marketing Coordinator at the Gregangelo Museum. Originally from Colombia, she began as a marketing intern during the pandemic and helped reimagine how the museum connects with its audience through storytelling and content.

💡 Key quote: “At the beginning, I didn’t quite get the selling point. Then I realized—it’s not just the art. It’s the stories.”

👋 Where to find Angelica: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find the Gregangelo Museum: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok


👋 Where to find Velocity Arts & Entertainment: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | TikTok


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

How to Make Marketing Work for You with Lorraine Ball27 mars 202500:41:51

Selling a business wasn’t part of Lorraine Ball’s original plan. But after nearly two decades of running her marketing agency, Roundpeg, she knew it was time for a change.


Rather than walking away entirely, Lorraine kept the pieces she loved — her podcast, “More Than a Few Words”, and her consulting work — while selling the rest. “The day you start [your business], you need to think about your exit,” she says on Be A Marketer. “You want to build a business that someone will want to buy.”

On this episode of Be A Marketer, host Dave Charest sits down with Lorraine to explore the key lessons she's learned along the way. She shares why answering customer questions is one of the most effective ways to improve marketing, how business owners should plan for their exit strategy from day one, and why automation is essential for filtering and prioritizing leads.


As a longtime Constant Contact Partner, Lorraine also dives into how marketing automation and email segmentation have helped her streamline her efforts, engage her audience more effectively, and deliver personalized experiences that drive results.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Lorraine Ball of More Than a Few Words


☕ What she does: Lorraine is a marketing strategist, Constant Contact Partner, and host of the More Than a Few Words podcast. After nearly two decades running her agency, Roundpeg, she transitioned into consulting, helping businesses refine their marketing strategies and improve their results.


💡 Key quote: "When you get people from different kinds of ways that they find you, and you dump all of them into one email list, and you send them all the same email every single week, you're going to watch your open rates fall, you're going to watch your engagement fall, you're going to see a lot of unsubscribes. When you start tying different people based on how they come to you to different campaigns, and you start sending them information that is relevant to what they're looking for, it has a level of personalization. It feels more like you're talking to them. People love that.”


👋 Where to find her: X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram


👋 Where to find More Than a Few Words: Website | Facebook | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Amazon | Pandora | Podbean


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

The Power of Personalized Email Marketing with Marc Newberry and Jasmin Bollman 20 mars 202500:25:25

Running a successful marketing campaign doesn't require a massive team or unlimited resources. Sometimes, it just takes a small, dedicated group that knows how to connect with people on a personal level.

That's exactly what Marc Newberry and Jasmin Bollman have accomplished at Genumark, Canada's leader in custom-branded merchandise and apparel. With a marketing team of just four people, they've mastered the art of personalized communication while expanding into the US market.

"Having those emails coming from the account managers rather than the info@Genumark email is definitely the best half an hour I spend in my marketing week or month," Marc explains, highlighting a simple yet effective strategy that dramatically improves their engagement rates. By personalizing each email to come from the client's specific account manager, they achieve better open rates and direct client-representative communication.

On this episode of Be a Marketer, Marc and Jasmin join host Dave Charest to reveal how their small marketing team achieves big results through authentic communication. They discuss their recent rebranding process, how they maintain a consistent brand voice, and why personalization is crucial for cutting through inbox clutter.


Tune in to discover their 30-minute email marketing hack, how they organize their marketing calendar around a monthly newsletter, and practical tips for humanizing your business communications to build stronger customer relationships.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guests: Marc Newberry and Jasmin Bollman of Genumark 


Marc Newberry


🎨 Who he is:
Marc is the Creative Director at Genumark, Canada's leader in custom-branded merchandise and apparel. He's been with this family-owned business for 14 years, starting as an account manager before moving into creative roles. Marc helps lead their small four-person marketing team, creating content for their expansion into the US market and supporting their certified B Corporation status.

💡 Key quote: "It's definitely consistency in timing, content and visuals is definitely key to kind of making the email marketing work as well as it can. I think that's something that we've got better at recently and it's definitely the biggest piece of advice I would give to others."

👋 Where to find Marc: LinkedIn


Jasmin Bollman

🎨 Who she is: Jasmin is the Marketing Manager at Genumark. She joined the company as a freelancer after working in the tech industry and running her marketing consultancy. Attracted by Genumark's creative environment, she transitioned to a full-time role about a year ago. Jasmin handles all the written content for the company, from email campaigns to social media copy.


💡 Key quote:
"I've always been a big proponent of — the way you talk online should be the way that you talk to somebody face to face, just like you're speaking with a friend. Because authenticity is what's going to make people connect with you."

👋 Where to find Jasmin: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Genumark: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Your Real Estate Marketing Playbook: A Full Recap with Stephanie, Dave, and Kelsi18 mars 202500:34:55

In this final episode of Be A Marketer - Real Estate edition, hosts Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, and co-host Kelsi Carter, recap key lessons from their six-episode deep dive into marketing strategies for real estate professionals. But these insights aren’t just for real estate, business owners across industries can apply these takeaways to their own marketing efforts.


From the power of education-based marketing to leveraging AI and automation, Dave, Stephanie, and Kelsi reflect on the most impactful advice shared by expert guests, including Marki Lemons Rhyal, Christine George, Verl Workman, Ian Hoover, and Anthony Lamacchia.


They discuss:

✔️ Why giving away knowledge builds trust and authority

✔️ The importance of owning your niche and branding with intention

✔️ How to delegate effectively to scale your business

✔️ The role of culture in team-building and retention

✔️ Why embracing AI and automation is crucial for modern marketing


Whether you're in real estate or another industry, this episode provides actionable marketing strategies to help you grow your business with confidence.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Hosts: Dave Charest, Stephanie Alfonso, & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact


🎤 What Dave does: Dave is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, He helps small business owners understand and utilize online marketing. Dave co-hosts the Be A Marketer podcast, offering practical advice and inspirational stories.


💡 Key quote: “Not everything you do is going to work. Not everything you do is going to be ‘the right thing to do’. And I think that's the mentality that you really need to come at this with — marketing as a whole is a learning experience.”


👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Pinterest


🚀 What Stephanie does: She is the Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact.


💡 Key quote: “People do business with people they like, they know, and they trust. So we need to be intentional about getting people to like, know, and trust us."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube


🎤 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and co-host of the Be A Marketer podcast. She loves being deeply involved with projects, especially working with different types of creatives.

💡 Key quote: "It's really the trial and error, but also just looking at your data and then improving and enhancing so that it matches."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X | Pinterest


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Changing Your Behavior to Build a Stronger Business with Carissa Reiniger13 mars 202500:45:03

Running a business that lets customers choose what they pay might sound like a recipe for failure. But for Carissa Reiniger, Founder and CEO of Silver Lining, it's part of a 20-year mission to change the global economy one small business at a time.

Using her background in psychology, Carissa used behavioral change to build a company that helps small businesses set and hit financial goals. Her SLAP (Silver Lining Action Plan) platform serves tens of thousands of businesses in 77 countries, focusing on giving entrepreneurs the structure and support they need to succeed.

"I would estimate that on average, when small businesses come to SLAP, they are wasting — and I’m using that word very intentionally — about 80% of their time and 80% of their money. They are misusing it," Carissa reveals during her conversation on the Be a Marketer podcast. "  I don't mean they're cheating, I mean that they're spending it on things that are not helping them grow their business."

What has worked for Silver Lining so far? On this episode, Carissa and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, explore the challenges of the "Cash Flow Capacity Catch 22" and how business owners can break free from it.

Tune in to discover why focusing exclusively on the highest-priority activities matters and how building a business on your terms leads to both financial success and meaningful impact.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Carissa Reiniger of Silver Lining

👩‍💼 Who she is: Carissa Reiniger is the founder and CEO of Silver Lining, a company she started in 2005 with a mission to change the global economy, one small business at a time. With a background in psychology, she created a SaaS platform based on behavior change science that helps small businesses set and hit financial goals. Her company offers a "pay what you can" model and has worked with thousands of businesses in 77 countries.


💡 Key quote:
"I think people are looking for these magical, mystical answers. And the reality is it's very specific to each small business and their ideal client."


👋 Where to find her: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram 


👋 Where to find Silver Lining: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Building a Real Estate Powerhouse with Anthony Lamacchia11 mars 202500:35:54

Anthony Lamacchia learned the power of aggressive marketing at a young age while working with his father in construction. One postcard would bring in dozens of calls and thousands in deposits.


When he entered real estate in 2004, he brought that bold marketing mindset but quickly discovered that different businesses require different approaches. Through trial and error, Anthony found unique selling propositions that helped him build Lamacchia Realty into a powerhouse brokerage across New England and South Florida.


"When you educate, you attract," Anthony says on this episode of Be A Marketer. This philosophy has helped him build an audience of nearly 100,000 realtors across the country and establish himself as a thought leader in the industry.

In this conversation with hosts Dave Charest and Stephanie Alfonso, Anthony shares his marketing journey and the principles that drive his success. Learn how to identify marketing "veins" worth pursuing, why consistency builds top-of-mind awareness, and when to pivot your strategy when a vein dries up.

Tune in to discover why education-based content works so well, how to segment your audience effectively, and why boldness in marketing separates successful businesses from the competition.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Anthony Lamacchia of Lamacchia Realty

🏠 What he does: Anthony Lamacchia is the founder of Lamacchia Realty, a real estate brokerage that helps buyers and sellers across New England and South Florida. He also owns Crush It in Real Estate, a training company for real estate professionals in North America. Last year, his company sold 4,764 homes, 882 rentals, and 182 vacation rentals.

💡 Key quote: "Be bold. You got to be bold, and you have to do it consistently [...] It's a constant effort to educate, and it's a mix. When you educate, you attract, but when you mix the education with offerings, that's how you make things happen."


👋 Where to find him: X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook


👋 Where to find  Lamacchia Realty: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Using LinkedIn to Grow Your Business with Lea Turner06 mars 202500:43:01

Tattooed, pierced, a school dropout who'd worked minimum wage jobs her entire life, Lea Turner initially thought LinkedIn wasn't "for people like her."

In 2019, she was a single parent running a small transcription service, struggling to make ends meet and relying on government support. The corporate, polished world of professional networking seemed light-years away from her reality.


But everything changed when Lea decided to do something radical: be entirely, unapologetically herself.

"I kind of had a screw it moment. I'm just gonna be myself because this is not fun. Pretending to be corporate, pretending to be some professional businesswoman that's like everybody else, is never gonna work for me because that's not who I am," Lea explains.

What unfolded is a remarkable story of transformation that defies every traditional career narrative. By embracing her uniqueness—her humor, candid storytelling, and real-life experiences as a single mom—Lea turned LinkedIn from an intimidating platform into her greatest business asset. Her follower count exploded from 400 to 10,000 in just a few months. More importantly, she gained over 100 inbound clients for her transcription business, proving that authenticity is the most powerful marketing tool.

On this episode of Be A Marketer, join Lea and host Dave Charest for this masterclass on personal branding, marketing strategy, and the power of embracing your true self as Lea shares how this journey led to the creation of The HoLT, her membership community designed for small business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Lea Turner of The HoLT

☕ What she does: Lea is the founder of The House of LT (The HoLT), a membership community for small business owners, freelancers, and solopreneurs. She's a single mother, podcast host, and former LinkedIn trainer who transformed her business through strategic marketing.

💡 Key quote: "I still cringe sometimes before I start posting something or second-guess myself because I know loads of people are going to see it. But I also know that by doing it, I'm changing the life for my son and creating a better existence for both of us. So I'm more scared of dying or lying on my deathbed and going, 'Oh, if only I'd done that,' than I am of putting myself out there and giving it a go."

👋 Where to find her: Website | Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube | Podcast 

👋 Where to find The HoLT: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Building a Sustainable Independent Brokerage with Ian Hoover04 mars 202500:48:38

When Ian S. Hoover got fired from his job in retail, he wasn’t expecting it to lead to him opening a real estate brokerage one day. After a few drinks at his former partner's daughter's wedding, a casual conversation sparked the launch of Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors in 2017.

Today, his brokerage stands as the second-largest independent firm in Western Pennsylvania, and he's authored a book called "Short-Term Memory Loss" about his journey. But success didn't come from chasing top producers. Instead, Ian built a culture focused on developing new talent into high performers.

"I can lead a horse to water, can't force them to drink it. I can show you how to sell real estate, but if you can't hold a conversation, you might have some problems. You got to build those relationships and that rapport," Ian explains. 

On this episode of Be A Marketer (Real Estate Edition), host Dave Charest and real estate expert Stephanie Alfonso talk to Ian about his approach to brokerage growth. Learn how he leverages AI and automation for business efficiency, builds strong agent relationships, and maintains a "short-term memory loss" mindset that turns setbacks into opportunities.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Ian Hoover of Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors

🏠 Who he is: Ian S. Hoover turned getting fired from retail into founding one of Western Pennsylvania's largest independent brokerages. Since launching Deacon Hoover Real Estate Advisors in 2017 (after a tipsy wedding conversation), he's built a team of 60 agents who feel more like family than colleagues. His recent book "Short-Term Memory Loss" shares his unique approach to sales success.

💡 Key quote: "If you get anything from my book, I hope it's that you can legit use your sales ability — and we all have a sales ability, whether you know it or not — to get further down the road. If you want that promotion, if you want that job, be the squeaky wheel. Make sure you're there, and you're showing whoever you got to show how important you are, and eventually, it'll work out for you."

👋 Where to find him:Website | Podcast |  Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter 

👋 Where to find Deacon & Hoover Real Estate Advisors:  Website | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter | Instagram | YouTube 

 If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Making Technology Accessible for Nonprofits with Nick Fynn27 févr. 202500:46:03

Nonprofits face a constant challenge: delivering their message effectively with limited resources. For Nick Fynn, Head of Global Growth Marketing at TechSoup, this reality drives his mission to help organizations bridge the gap between technology and social impact.


Nick has a deep understanding of effective communication strategies through his work at TechSoup, a global nonprofit that connects other nonprofits with essential technology resources. "You cannot not communicate," Nick explains. Everything you do is communicating to your audience, and this includes when you are not saying something to them."

During this episode of Be A Marketer, Nick and host Dave Charest explore the fundamentals of nonprofit messaging and how organizations can maintain consistent communication despite limited resources. They discuss why email remains a powerful tool for nonprofit outreach, how to speak the language of different audiences, and ways to develop intentional communication strategies that resonate.

Listen in as Nick shares practical advice for nonprofits looking to strengthen their messaging approach. He also reveals how TechSoup's tiered membership model helps organizations make smarter technology decisions while building a collaborative nonprofit community.

 Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Nick Fynn of TechSoup


🎯 What he does:
Nick Fynn is the Head of Global Growth Marketing at TechSoup, a 501c3 nonprofit that helps other nonprofits and NGOs gain access to technology and learn to use it effectively. With an extensive background in communications and advocacy, Nick focuses on helping organizations connect technology with their mission.

💡 Key quotes: "Every nonprofit out there should be doing email. I don't think there's any one-fits-all frequency of how often you should be doing it, or what should it say, but everybody should be using it. It's a foundational tool."

👋 Where to find him: X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn


👋 Where to find TechSoup: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to
RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Real Estate Teams, Systems, and Family with Verl Workman25 févr. 202500:48:06

From satellite dishes and hot tubs to coaching real estate teams, Verl Workman's entrepreneurial journey is full of unexpected turns. Facing hardship early in life, Verl developed a strong work ethic and a knack for sales. A chance encounter with a satisfied customer led him to a successful career in real estate. 


But Verl's drive to innovate pushed him beyond traditional real estate sales, into technology training and public speaking. Now, as CEO and co-founder of Workman Success Systems, he empowers real estate teams to achieve "predictable greatness."


Verl challenges the solo agent model, advocating for the power of teams in real estate. He emphasizes leverage and delegation as keys to a balanced life. "Anything you do three times, create a system for it," Verl advises, encouraging realtors to prioritize high-value activities and delegate less profitable tasks. This approach frees up time for family and personal pursuits while building a successful business.


On this episode of the Be A Marketer podcast - Real Estate Edition, Verl sits down with hosts Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Stephanie Alonso, Sr. Director, Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact, to share his unique system for achieving predictable success in real estate. They delve into niche marketing, building a family-centric business culture, and harnessing the power of storytelling to forge deeper connections with clients. 


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Verl Workman of Workman Success Systems


👨‍💼 What he does: Verl Workman is the CEO and co-founder of Workman Success Systems, a business coaching company specializing in real estate teams. He is a seasoned entrepreneur, speaker, and coach with a passion for helping real estate professionals achieve predictable greatness in their businesses and lives. He believes in building strong family-centric businesses and leveraging systems and teams to create sustainable success.


💡 Key quote: "If you stop looking at the past to define what your future looks like, and you wipe it clean and say, 'what if,’ it's game-changing."


👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn | YouTube | Instagram | Facebook


👋 Where to find Workman Success Systems: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube |  LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Building Multiple Revenue Streams in Real Estate with Jacqui Luberto20 févr. 202500:39:41

When most real estate agents sell a property, they often lose the customer to property managers, insurance agents, and other service providers. But Jacqui Luberto saw an opportunity to change this pattern.

Jacqui opened her brokerage in 2020, on the day Florida shut down and has since built a network of six interconnected businesses that help clients at every step of their ownership journey.

"I look at a property when I sell it to someone, and I say, 'What are all of the things they can do with this property?' I want to be a part of their entire journey," Jacqui shares on the Be a Marketer podcast.

What drives Jacqui's success? In this episode, Jacqui and host Dave Charest explore how she leverages her marketing background to build lasting customer relationships. They discuss her strategic approach to timing customer communications, why social media positivity matters, and how she uses monthly community events to stand out in a crowded market.

Listen in to learn how Jacqui uses Constant Contact's versatile platform to manage communications across multiple businesses, ensuring she stays connected with customers throughout their journey.

 Additional Resources:

●  Real Estate Content Ideas to Get More Clients

●  Real Estate Client Appreciation Ideas: Events, Gifts, and More

●  Real Estate Lead Conversion: Nurture Leads and Increase Sales

●  Content Marketing for Real Estate



Meet Today's Guest: Jacqui Luberto of Realty One Group & One Family Property Services

🎯 What she does: Jacqui is the broker/owner of Realty One Group and five other interconnected businesses in Destin, Florida, including One Family Property Services, Defender Insurance, Gulf Coast Beachfronts, Emerald Coast Referral Network, and Nest Vacant Property Management. She combines her marketing background with real estate expertise to maintain long-term customer relationships.

💡 Key quote: " I would lie if I said I didn't have any doubts, but the road is paved with dead squirrels who had doubts. So we just have to move and you'll be able to figure it out. It's real estate, no one dies, this is not surgery… You can change course, but if you're not moving swiftly and intentionally, you're just going to get left behind."

👋 Where to find her:Website | Podcast |  Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter 


👋 Where to find Realty One Group:  Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube 


 If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


The Art of Real Estate Branding with Christine George18 févr. 202500:29:31

Being a successful real estate agent demands a clear and authentic personal brand. Christine George, CEO and Founder of Post & Beam Creative, didn’t set out to help agents sell more homes. Instead, she focuses on helping them uncover their unique identities and stand out in a crowded market.


Christine has spent over 15 years in the real estate industry, refining strategies that empower agents to market themselves with confidence. In this episode, she shares her journey and her "three A's" framework: Awaken, Activate, and Amplify. Through this process, agents can define their niche, craft intentional marketing strategies, and make authentic connections with their ideal clients.


"When you are true to who you are, your clients feel it," Christine explains. "They feel it. So focus on what you do and what you do well and continue to challenge yourself along the way, but forget about what everybody else is doing because they're not watching you and whatever they're doing."


Tune in today to the Be A Marketer podcast with hosts Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Stephanie Alfonso, Senior Director of Vertical Innovation at Constant Contact, to discover how to craft your unique brand, attract your dream clients, and make meaningful connections that fuel your success.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Christine George of Post & Beam Creative

🤔 What she does: Christine George is the CEO and Founder of Post & Beam Creative, a branding and marketing services firm specializing in real estate. She helps agents and brokers uncover their unique value and bring it to life through personalized branding and marketing strategies.

💡 Key quote: “When you are true to who you are, your clients feel it. They feel it. So focus on what you do and what you do well and continue to challenge yourself along the way, but forget about what everybody else is doing because they're not watching you and whatever they're doing. If you try to do it, it's not going to come off the same way. It's just going to come off as disingenuous. So just be who you are.”


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn | Instagram 

👋 Where to find Post & Beam Creative: Website | YouTube | Spotify | Facebook | LinkedIn | Pinterest


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

The No Excuse Zone: Real Estate with Marki Lemons Ryhal13 févr. 202500:52:49

Building a real estate empire wasn't Marki Lemons Ryhal's first career choice. A fifth-generation entrepreneur, she found her way to real estate after a lawsuit with her family and because she wanted a flexible career as a working mom. Now a global keynote speaker, author, and prop tech investor, Marki's journey is anything but ordinary.


In this episode, the first of the Be a Marketer podcast - Real Estate limited series, Marki shares her unconventional path to success and the lessons she's learned. She pulls back the curtain on real estate agents' struggles, emphasizing the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset. “A lack of consistency is your business killer,” she warns, highlighting the need for disciplined action.


Join Marki and hosts Stephanie Alonso and Dave Charest as they explore the power of video marketing, landing pages, and CRMs. Discover why giving new agents leads can be counterproductive and how diversifying income streams is crucial for long-term growth. Marki offers practical advice for agents and brokers, stressing the importance of innovation and leveraging technology, especially AI. Tune in to learn how to make the most of your real estate career.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Marki Lemons Ryhal of ReMarkiTable LLC

👩‍💼 What she does: Marki Lemons Ryhal is a real estate keynote speaker, podcast host, prop tech investor, and Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at ReMarkiTable LLC. A fifth-generation entrepreneur, she brings decades of experience and a unique perspective to the real estate industry, advocating for innovation, technology adoption, and an entrepreneurial mindset. She is also a published author and a strong believer in the power of video marketing.


💡 Key quote: "Being successful in real estate is doing boring things consistently… I can tell you a lack of consistency is your business killer."


👋 Where to find her: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | Podcast


👋 Where to find ReMarkiTable LLC: LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Growing an Online Business with Teresa Heath-Wareing06 févr. 202500:56:23

Starting a business often means learning to trust yourself first — especially when battling both personal and professional challenges.


Teresa Heath-Wareing built a six-figure agency as a single parent, then transformed it into a successful online business. But her journey involved more than just business growth; she also sought authenticity in both marketing and life.

"I built a six-figure business while drunk or hungover," Teresa shares candidly about her past struggle with alcohol addiction. “So, if I can do that, what the hell can I do now that I am 100% clear-headed and focused?"

Teresa discusses the real meaning of showing up vulnerably in your marketing, why email marketing beats social media for building relationships, and how she generates revenue through multiple streams. She also breaks down the mindset shifts needed to overcome imposter syndrome and self-sabotage.

On this episode of Constant Contact’s Be a Marketer podcast, join host Dave Charest and Teresa as they explore what it really means to market authentically online, the importance of building your email list before anything else, and why consistency in the right marketing channels matters more than trying to do everything.

👉 Check out the full podcast episode Teresa mentioned in this episode.

 

 Additional Resources:

●  Audience Engagement Keeps Eyes on Your Business

●  How to Market Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget

●  Digital Marketing for Small Business: How to Get Started

●  Get Started With Email Marketing: 10 Things You Need to Do First


Meet Today’s Guest: Teresa Heath-Wareing of THW Marketing Limited

🎯 What she does: Teresa Heath-Wareing helps entrepreneurs scale their online businesses through strategic marketing and audience growth. After a successful corporate marketing career that included a role at Land Rover, she built a six-figure agency. She later transformed her business model to focus on online business coaching and has become a sought-after international speaker.

💡 Key quote: "If you are trying to help people and show people the way, no one wants to hear when you are in the messy middle of it. What is really helpful is being honest about it happening and being honest about the trials and the tribulations and the difficulties you've gone through at the point where I can help people and tell them how I got through it."

👋 Where to find her: Website | Podcast |  Instagram | LinkedIn | Facebook | X, formerly known as Twitter 

👋 Where to find THW Marketing Limited: Website | LinkedIn

 If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Destination Marketing Strategies with Aljolynn Sperber 30 janv. 202500:42:12

After a career in Los Angeles, Aljolynn Sperber returned to her hometown with a vision. She became the Executive Director of Visit Kitsap Peninsula, combining her marketing skills with her passion for her community. Her goal is to both promote the area to visitors and build a strong sense of belonging for locals.

This is not just about attracting tourists; for Aljolynn, it’s about making everyone feel welcome. This involves partnering with local businesses and prioritizing core values. "The overall story is we want people to feel like they belong when they come here," she shares on the Be A Marketer podcast, a series dedicated to helping Constant Contact customers succeed with marketing.

In this episode, host Dave Charest and Aljolynn dive into her strategies for destination marketing. They discuss the need for a modern, mobile-responsive website and how she uses data to inform her decisions. They also cover the value of email segmentation and how she engages her audience with polls and surveys.

Tune in to discover how Aljolynn balances innovation with tradition, cultivates meaningful community connections, and consistently promotes her core values, while boosting Kitsap.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Aljolynn Sperber of Visit Kitsap Peninsula

👩‍💼 What she does: Aljolynn is the Executive Director of Visit Kitsap Peninsula, the official tourism organization for the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington state. She is focused on promoting tourism while also making sure locals feel a sense of belonging in their community. She uses her background in marketing and her love of the area to make Kitsap a great place to visit and live.


💡 Key quote: "I love data and what it can do for people. And so take advantage of any data that you can get from Constant Contact or any other tool that you're using to help inform your decisions and make a really good impact for the community that you're living, working, playing in."


👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Visit Kitsap Peninsula: Website | Instagram | Facebook 


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Building Customer Relationships Through Email with Lena Niedzielin23 janv. 202500:25:44

From the slopes to the screen, Lena Niedzielin’s marketing journey is anything but predictable. Growing up skiing in New England, Lena never imagined she’d be managing an indoor ski facility in London. But as the manager of Skieasy, she’s traded her skis for spreadsheets and discovered a passion for connecting people with winter sports, all year round.


However, marketing an indoor ski center presents unique challenges. How do you reach an audience that may not even know your business exists? On this episode of Be A Marketer, Lena shares her secrets to success, including her innovative use of Constant Contact to build customer relationships and drive off-season sales. “It’s a huge challenge to find one specific strategy that would work for all our customers,” Lena explains, highlighting the need for targeted marketing.


Tune in to discover how Lena leverages email marketing, community engagement, and local events to grow her contact list and keep skiers coming back for more, even when the sun is shining. On this episode, Lena and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, unpack practical tips for data-driven decision-making, crafting engaging newsletters, and maximizing your marketing ROI.


Additional Resources:

Meet Today’s Guest: Lena Niedzielin of Skieasy

⛷️ What she does: Lena Niedzielin is the manager of Skieasy, an indoor ski facility at Duke Meadows in West London. Passionate about skiing and connecting people with winter sports, Lena leverages her marketing skills to grow the business and overcome the challenges of promoting a niche market. She is a Constant Contact customer.


💡 Key quote: "I've learned so much, definitely the importance of graphics and the layout and I've always been very creative. So I think this is one of my biggest advantages I had from the very beginning. I was looking for things that would work and being creative, trying new things, trying to see what works, get that feedback from your customers."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Skieasy: Website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Bake Club's Recipe for Community Building with Christina Tosi and Shannon Salzano16 janv. 202500:45:59

Who knew a simple idea to bake together virtually could turn into a thriving online community? When the pandemic hit, Christina Tosi, chef and founder of Milk Bar, and Shannon Salzano, Milk Bar’s Brand Director, found themselves searching for a way to connect with people. 


Turning their cameras on, they invited others to join them in the kitchen, creating a space for comfort and connection amidst the uncertainty. Thus, Bake Club was born, offering a much-needed sense of togetherness during a difficult time. It quickly evolved, becoming a vibrant online community centered around sharing recipes and a heartfelt newsletter, delivered straight to inboxes like a warm hug.


For Christina and Shannon, Bake Club is about more than just baking. "We're a business that shows up for people," Christina says on this episode of Be A Marketer, a podcast dedicated to helping small business owners like you make sense of online marketing. Join Christina, Shannon, and host  Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, as they explore Bake Club’s delicious journey, uncovering their secret ingredients to community building and the power of authentic connection.


Tune in to discover how Bake Club leverages the power of email marketing to nurture genuine relationships, the importance of adapting to change, and their experience using Constant Contact to achieve marketing success. Christina and Shannon also share invaluable insights for business owners at any stage, emphasizing that building a successful business — much like baking a perfect cake — takes time and dedication. 


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guests: Christina Tosi and Shannon Salzano of Bake Club

🍰 What Christina does: Christina is a chef, author, and founder of Milk Bar, known for its innovative desserts and whimsical approach to baking. She's also a judge on MasterChef, host of Bake Squad on Netflix, and co-creator of Bake Club.


💡 Key quote: "The answers are always right in front of you. They're always hiding right in front of you. It's whether or not you slow down or perk up enough to realize that you have the answer."


👋 Where to find her: Website | YouTube | Instagram |  X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook


✍️ What Shannon does: Shannon is the brand director for Milk Bar and co-creator of Bake Club. She leads the development and execution of brand strategy, including community building and email marketing. She's passionate about fostering authentic connections with people.


💡 Key quote: "I think really just being intentional with the immediate steps in front of you and really trying to do those to a degree that you feel you're accomplishing well. That's really been, I think, the thing that we get caught up in the most.”


👋 Where to find her: Website | Instagram |  X, formerly known as Twitter | LinkedIn

👋 Where to find Bake Club: Website | Newsletter


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Crush Your Marketing Goals in 2025: 5 Game-Changing Tips09 janv. 202500:31:07

The future of marketing feels like a runaway train. It's exciting, sure, but also terrifying. How do you keep up and plan for success when the ground beneath you seems to shift constantly? Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, understand this struggle. 


That's why they've dedicated this episode of the Be a Marketer podcast to helping small business owners like you thrive in 2025. They've compiled five key strategies, gleaned from conversations with successful business owners, to help you succeed.


"If you think of marketing as a tool, it's really this idea of communicating with the people that are open to hearing your message and then finding the places where you can find more of those people and getting in front of them and then keeping your business top of mind with them," Dave explains. 


This episode unpacks that idea, offering practical advice you can implement immediately. Discover the power of community building, the importance of continuous learning, and how automation can free up your time.


Tune in to learn how to segment your audience for personalized marketing and why regularly reviewing your strategies is crucial for growth. Dave and Kelsi share real-world examples from Constant Contact customers, demonstrating how these strategies have led to real success. Get actionable tips and valuable insights to make 2025 your best year yet.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Hosts: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact

🎤 What Dave does: Dave is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, He helps small business owners understand and utilize online marketing. Dave co-hosts the Be a Marketer podcast, offering practical advice and inspirational stories.


💡 Key quote: “Not everything you do is going to work. Not everything you do is going to be ‘the right thing to do’. And I think that's the mentality that you really need to come at this with — marketing as a whole is a learning experience.”


👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | X, formerly known as Twitter | Pinterest


🎤 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and co-host of the Be A Marketer podcast. She loves being deeply involved with projects, especially working with different types of creatives.

💡 Key quote: "It's really the trial and error, but also just looking at your data and then improving and enhancing so that it matches."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


2024 End of Year Recap21 nov. 202400:26:22

Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Kelsi Carter, Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact, have spent the year chatting with small business owners and marketing experts on the Be a Marketer podcast, gathering insights to help entrepreneurs thrive.


Now, they're ready to share the best of those lessons. From goal-setting to storytelling, they've covered a lot of ground. But one theme keeps popping up: the need for flexibility. "Everything is changing all the time," Dave notes. "You often have to have an idea of where you're going to go and almost be broad with setting those objectives."


Dave and Kelsi also explore the power of community engagement, the importance of audience-focused content, and how marketing automation can be a game-changer for small businesses.


Tune in to hear how successful businesses are leveraging these strategies, what's working for building engaged audiences, and how you can apply these lessons to make 2025 your best year yet. Also, get Kelsi’s updates on her ducks and how she plans to keep them comfortable through the winter. 

Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guests: Dave Charest & Kelsi Carter of Constant Contact


🚀 What Dave does: He is the Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. He helps small business owners make sense of online marketing and hosts the Be A Marketer podcast.


💡 Key quote: "Review, plan and execute. So really take a look at how things went for you as you close out the year and start to set those new goals for 2025."


👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn


📝 What Kelsi does: Kelsi is the Brand Production Coordinator at Constant Contact and produces the Be a Marketer podcast. She also writes the Be a Marketer newsletter for Constant Contact's LinkedIn page.

💡 Key quotes: "I don't think goals should be set in stone. They need to be evolving with your business and growing with your business because needs change."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Constant Contact: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


How to Segment Your Email List for Better Results with David Fischer14 nov. 202400:19:05

Most small business owners excel in their chosen fields, but marketing often feels like uncharted territory. You know you need a website and an email list, but what should your website look like? 


What should you be sending to your email list? And how do you know if any of it is even working?


David Fischer, Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth and Constant Contact Community Coach, understands these challenges. For 14 years, he and his team have helped small businesses nationwide elevate their marketing efforts and get real results.


David joined Dave Charest on the Be a Marketer podcast to share his insights on how to level up your email marketing using the power of segmentation. 


Simply put, segmentation means dividing your email list into smaller groups based on specific criteria, like demographics, purchase history, or even engagement levels. This allows you to send more personalized and relevant emails that resonate with each subscriber.


“The more targeted and more specific the message is to those people, the more it will resonate with them and the better results you're going to get," David explains.


Tune in to learn tactical tips for segmenting your email list, understanding the difference between lists and segments, and sending the right message to the right people at the right time.


Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: David Fischer of Solutions for Growth

🚀 What he does: David Fischer is the Founder and CEO of Solutions for Growth, a full-service marketing agency that has been helping small businesses thrive for over 14 years. As a Certified Constant Contact Partner and Community Coach, David is passionate about helping businesses harness the power of digital marketing to achieve their goals.


💡 Key quote: “The bottom line is that regardless of the company you are managing, a happy team delivers better results.”


👋 Where to find him: Website | LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Solutions for Growth: Website | LinkedIn | Facebook | YouTube


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Reporting Beyond Opens & Clicks with Lindsay Higgins07 nov. 202400:16:49

Are your email marketing reports leaving you feeling puzzled? You're getting opens, you're even getting clicks, but are those translating to real results for your business?


On this episode of Be a Marketer, Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, sits down with Lindsay Higgins, owner of L2L Creative Group and a Constant Contact Certified Partner. Lindsay understands the struggle of deciphering marketing reports. 


She shares her insights on going beyond vanity metrics like opens and click-through rates, to focus on what truly matters: conversions and achieving overall business goals.


“There’s so many different methods of reviewing if your email actually worked,” says Lindsay. “But I think it goes back to the initial goal of your email and then kind of build from that.”


Tune in to discover Lindsay's advice on testing subject lines, optimizing send times, and using resends effectively. You'll learn how aligning your email content with your goals can unlock success and boost conversion.

Additional Resources:


Meet Today’s Guest: Lindsay Higgins of L2L Creative Group


👩‍💼 What she does: Lindsay is the owner of L2L Creative Group, a Constant Contact Certified Partner based in Boston, Massachusetts. Her company helps businesses with their email marketing from setup to ongoing management. Lindsay is also a Constant Contact community coach, offering real-time guidance to other users.


💡 Key quote: “There's never going to be like the perfect subject line. There's never going to be the perfect day or time to send, in my opinion."


👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find L2L Creative Group: Website | Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.


Expand Your Reach with Multi-Channel Campaigns with Aaron Wesley Means31 oct. 202400:16:10

Juggling a business is hard enough without adding the pressure of mastering multiple marketing channels. It's easy to feel overwhelmed, spreading yourself thin across social media, email, and who-knows-what-else. 


But what if there was a way to streamline your efforts and make your marketing work smarter, not harder?


That's where multichannel marketing comes in. "When you use them together, you get a sum that's greater than the parts," says Aaron Wesley Means, Founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, emphasizing the power of combining channels like email and social media. 


In this episode of Constant Contact's Be a Marketer podcast, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, welcomes back Constant Contact Community Coach Aaron. 


Aaron shares his expert insights on creating cohesive, impactful campaigns that extend your reach and boost your business growth.


Tune in to learn how to leverage the unique strengths of each digital platform, discover how Constant Contact's Campaign Builder can streamline your multichannel strategy, and walk away with actionable advice to amplify your marketing impact.



Additional Resources:


Meet Today's Guest: Aaron Wesley Means of Activate Business Solutions


💻 What he does: Aaron is the founder and CEO of Activate Business Solutions, a full-service micro-agency based in Asheville, North Carolina. A Constant Contact partner since 2011 and community coach, Aaron is passionate about empowering small businesses and nonprofits through education and hands-on marketing support.


💡 Key quote: "I've seen folks that are 'not techies' doing full campaigns with the Campaign Builder in five or 10 minutes."


👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn


👋 Where to find Activate Business Solutions: Website | X, formerly known as Twitter 


If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

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