More Than A Few Words

Sometimes, early success can fool you into thinking you’ve built the perfect business. That’s what happened to Danny Kirk, who launched a software-as-a-service company right after finishing a music degree. He and his co-founder found a great niche, landed a $4,500 sale on a $300 MVP, and took off fast. The catch? Neither of them could actually build the product beyond that first version. They were great at selling and marketing but never filled their technical gap — and that’s what cost them. Five years later, they sold the business, while a competitor in the same space sold to Oracle for $200 million. Same idea, different outcome. Here’s what Danny learned: Find your missing piece early. Whether it’s a technical co-founder, a contractor, or even AI tools to bridge the gap, make sure every critical skill is covered before you scale. Build a team that makes you uncomfortable. The best collaborators are the ones who spot problems you don’t want to see and tell you the truth, even when it stings. Reward people

Building custom GPTs for real work, not just party tricks is tricky. That's why I invited Len Ward to sit in my guest chair.  He's a former Wall Street pro turned agency builder, now leading Comexis, and he has the scars to prove what works and what does not. We covered where these tools shine, where they trip you up, and how to keep them sounding like you, not a committee of the internet. Key points The idea Build a focused GPT that acts like a virtual team member. Feed it your processes, products, locations, and goals so it can help with tasks like onboarding, strategy, and client communication. What can go wrong Trusting outputs without review, letting the model drift from your voice over time, and uploading sensitive info or leaving training on so your data fuels everyone else’s bot. What we would do differently Lock down privacy settings, create prompt playbooks, retrain with fresh voice samples on a set schedule, and keep humans in the loop for approval. What went wrong I learned the hard way th

I sat down with Cara Chatellier, the founder and creative director of Bubbly Creative, to talk about something that hits home for every small business owner, the little things. You know, those simple, doable tweaks that don’t require a rebrand or a six-month strategy sprint, yet somehow manage to make your marketing sparkle. Cara calls them her “five tiny fixes,” and I couldn’t wait to dig in. Cara’s agency focuses on helping women-led service businesses stand out with personality and polish. Her approach is rooted in storytelling, strategy, and plenty of real-world experience. What I love about her “tiny fixes” is that they’re both practical and immediately actionable, the kind of steps that give you momentum while you’re building toward the big picture. Here are a few highlights from our conversation: 1. Show Your Face Cara’s first piece of advice is one that makes many small business owners squirm: put yourself out there. Literally. Swap the stock photos and text-heavy posts for images of you and your team

Brands are personal. AI is not. So how do you use a tool that has no feelings, no experiences, and no voice of its own to help you build a brand that feels deeply personal and unmistakably you? It starts long before you ever open ChatGPT. Define Your Brand Before AI Touches It  Before you hand anything over to AI, take time to define your brand yourself. Ask: Who are my customers? What do they think about me now? What do I want them to say about me? That clarity becomes your North Star. Otherwise, you’re just asking AI to aimlessly generate words without direction. Audit What the Internet Thinks  Once you know who you think you are, find out what the internet thinks you are. Instead of Googling your name or company like we used to, go to ChatGPT and ask: “What is the brand perception of [Your Name or Company]?” “What is [Brand] known for?” “What do people say about this brand online?” Then compare what comes back with your original vision. That’s where the human part of branding kicks in. You

Angel Tuccy is an award-winning speaker, radio host, TV producer, media specialist. She's the author of 15 bestsellers, and hosts multiple successful online events.  A recent one had 6,000 attendees.  So this girl knows how to throw a party. So I was surprised, when we talked about the first party she tried to throw which didn't go the way she hoped.  What Was the Idea? Angel wanted to create a space where podcasters and potential guests could connect. In 2020, she launched the Need a Guest Facebook community. It took off like wildfire, growing to 10,000 members in just two years.  What Went Wrong? Angel built the community but forgot one very important piece: the email list. Ten thousand people in her group… and not a single email address. No opt-in. No funnel. Nothing. As Angel put it, that number was a big fat goose egg. Cue the collective groan ... and laughter. How did Angel Turn it Around She started by adding a Chrome extension to collect emails as new members joined and sent a personal welcome message

I might have been a little late getting started today because I fell down a rabbit hole on Reddit — and let me tell you, it was worth it. If you’ve never explored Reddit, think of it as a sprawling collection of dinner parties happening all at once. Each “subreddit” is its own table — one might be deep in marketing trends, another swapping cat photos, and a third arguing about the best way to brew coffee. You can learn a lot about human behavior (and marketing) by paying attention to what people are talking about at each table. To explore what Reddit can teach marketers, I sat down with Flynn Zaiger, CEO of Online Optimism — a marketing agency that knows a thing or two about digital communities, employee culture, and, yes, the occasional office cat. Conversation Highlights Reddit as a Listening Tool: Forget the focus group. Subreddits are where your customers speak freely — unfiltered, passionate, and brutally honest. If you want to know what real people think about your industry or brand, start lurking.

Reddit: once the quirky cousin of the internet, now a front-row player in the SEO and LLM (large language model) game. If your carefully crafted blog posts are suddenly being outranked by Reddit threads, you’re not alone. That’s exactly what sparked this week’s conversation with Danny Kirk—musician-turned-marketer and the founder of Reddit Reach. Lorraine sits down with Danny to ask the question on every marketer’s mind: Are we ready for Reddit? Together, they explore why Reddit is suddenly everywhere, how it’s being used to train AI tools like ChatGPT, and what marketers can do to adapt and thrive in this new digital landscape. Key Points Reddit is no longer niche. It’s showing up in Google’s top search results and training AI models—which means it can’t be ignored. Reddit’s ad platform is cheap and underutilized, making it a hidden gem for budget-conscious marketers. Subreddits are their own little countries. Each one has different rules, moderators, and expectations. If you want in, learn the local c

Recruiter, podcaster, and process evangelist Darren Saul returns to More Than a Few Words to unpack a painfully relatable story: the one that got away. After weeks of work, multiple interviews, and a seemingly perfect match, Darren’s top candidate vanished right after receiving the offer—without so much as a “thanks, but no thanks.” Ouch. But this isn’t just a story about recruitment. It’s a wake-up call for marketers, sales pros, and anyone who works with humans (aka all of us). Because whether you're filling a role, closing a deal, or pitching a new client, the lessons are the same: assumptions kill deals, and skipping steps in your process will always come back to haunt you. Key Points Even perfect processes can fail if you don't fully qualify the people you're dealing with. Ghosting isn’t just rude—it’s bad business. Burning bridges happens silently and swiftly. Recruitment and sales are two sides of the same coin: both require curiosity, follow-through, and respect. Process isn't optional. Skippi

Do you remember marketing meetups? Not the polished, sponsor-filled kind. I mean the scrappy, “grab a coffee and chat” kind. No agenda. No name tags. Just people who geek out over marketing gathering to swap stories, ideas, and maybe a slice of pizza. Then  social media distracted us.  It was easier to post on Twitter and LinkedIn from the comfort of your bet then it was to get out of bed and come to a networking even . Then along came  COVID... well, it cleared the calendar completely. And somehow, we never bounced back… I missed those conversations. So I posted a note on LinkedIn and Instagram,  and an event on : “I’ll be at my favorite coffee shop, Friday 3–5. Join me?” No RSVPs, no pressure. Just show up. I was prepared to sit outside enjoy my coffee and read my book, but ... at 3:05, someone showed up. An old friend, I hadn’t seen since Covid, then along came someone who used to frequent the marketing meet ups.   And that was it.  The three of us, two hours, one fantastic conversation about work, marketi

I had a conversation with Laura Chattington, a strategist who’s helped companies with enough zeros to make your head spin. We didn’t talk about prompts, plugins, or the latest hack for writing Instagram captions in 30 seconds flat. We talked about something much more important: how to make AI part of your marketing strategy instead of just your to-do list. Laura reframed the conversation around two powerful words: speed and leverage. Yes, AI can make things faster. That part’s obvious. But where it really shines is in its ability to help you dig deeper, make better decisions, and build systems that scale without piling on more complexity. This episode isn’t about robots taking your job. It’s about how AI can support your brain instead of trying to replace it. Think of it as your intern who works 24/7, never gets tired, and doesn’t whine about the coffee. Key Points AI is a wave, not a trend. Like the internet and social media before it, AI is reshaping business at high speed. This is not just a shiny new t

Is It Too Late to Start a Podcast? Roy Coughlan Doesn’t Think So I sat down with Roy Coughlan, a serial entrepreneur turned podcast coach, to tackle a question that’s been floating around like last week’s leftovers: Is podcasting still worth it? If you’ve been wondering whether the market is too crowded or if there’s even room for one more voice (yours), Roy has a clear answer: Yes, there’s room. Especially for podcasters who stick with it. Because while millions may have started podcasts, only a small percentage are still active. The rest? Abandoned somewhere between episode 10 and a pile of unrealistic expectations. Roy’s message wasn’t just encouraging—it was refreshingly honest. He’s hosted six shows and coached countless others, so he knows both the magic and the mess behind the mic. Why Podcasting Still Matters 1. It's not just about downloads. Podcasting gives you a direct channel to build relationships, showcase your expertise, and create meaningful conversations. Think of it less like broadcasting a

I had a conversation with Deanna Russo, LinkedIn pro and founder of Leverage Up, about one of those ideas that sounded great in theory—but fizzled out in practice. Her LinkedIn group community was supposed to be the perfect extension of her one-on-one coaching work. But in the end, it didn’t quite land the way she hoped. Deanna built a network of over 30,000 followers on LinkedIn, so she knows a thing or two about creating connection. But even with that experience, launching a paid online community turned out to be harder than expected. She tried different formats. Played with cadence. Offered recordings. Bundled it with coaching. Unbundled it. But the reality was clear: the group wasn’t growing, and more and more people kept asking for one-on-one support. Sometimes, the business speaks for itself. And it’s not saying “try harder”—it’s saying “try something else.”   Key Takeaways from Deanna’s Story If it’s not growing, it’s not working. Pay attention to where your customers naturally gravitate. If one offe

I am going to start this marketing monologue with a story.  I'm going to start with a story. I was about four years old and I went into a bakery with my dad. And while he was ordering breads and pastries, I was standing there looking in the glass counter at these beautiful pastries. Eventually, my dad looked down and he says, Lanie, do you want one? Yes, Daddy. So the woman reaches behind the counter and she gets me a Charlotte Russe. Now, if you're not from New York, you may not know what a Charlotte Russe pastry is. It's a little piece of pound cake stuffed inside a tube about the size of a toilet paper roll filled with whipped cream. And then on the very top, there's a cherry. She hands it to me, and I say thank you—because I was a very polite child. I ate the cherry off the top and as we were leaving, the pastry falls to the ground. Before I had a chance to say anything, the woman came running out from behind the counter and said, Don't cry, sweetie, I'll get you another one. Lanie, do you want another on

What if I told you there was one metric that could truly move your business forward—and most business owners aren’t even paying attention to it? That’s what we’re diving into in this episode of More than a Few Words. I had a conversation with jake Tlapek, aka the Wizard of Marketing, who’s spent the last decade helping struggling brands become high-growth success stories using battle-tested SEO and creative problem-solving. Episode Recap: When most people think of marketing metrics, they zero in on traffic, leads, or social likes. But Jake makes the case for a bigger-picture indicator: Share of Brand Voice—a measure of how often your brand shows up compared to competitors. It’s not a tidy little number you can find in a single report. Measuring it requires stitching together insights from a variety of sources. It’s not a tidy little number you can find in a single report. Measuring it requires stitching together insights from a variety of sources. But if you’re serious about building a visible, respected bran

Joseph ( Dr. Joey) Drolshagen, left behind a high-powered corporate career to launch his own coaching business built on the SMT Method—Subconscious Mindset Training. He's seen incredible success helping companies grow, but in this conversation we’re not talking about the wins. We're digging into one of his biggest flops: a year-long coaching program called Struggle to Soar—designed for men navigating divorce, loss, or career upheaval. He spent over a year building it and more than $50,000 on development and ads. The result? One client. Just one. And yet, buried in that failure were the seeds of everything he does today.  What Was the Idea? A high-ticket, year-long personal development program tailored to help men rebound after major life disruptions. The concept was born from personal experience and fueled by his passion for mindset transformation. What Went Wrong? Two things, really: The audience wasn't ready. Joey targeted men, a group far less likely (at that time) to seek out emotional or mindset suppor

What Went Wrong: I Was Talking to the Wrong Audience After years of interviewing guests about their marketing mistakes, I decided it was time to turn the microphone on myself. This solo episode of More than a Few Words dives into one of my biggest missteps—fifteen years in the making. When I launched More than a Few Words, I imagined it as a smart marketing resource for small business owners. I was running a digital agency, working with contractors, lawyers, and local service pros. Naturally, I figured a podcast could attract more of them. The idea seemed solid. The conversations were interesting. The episodes were sharp and useful. But there was one little problem. My audience wasn’t listening. Turns out, the folks I built the show for—the small business owners—weren’t looking for deep dives into marketing trends or strategy debates. That’s why they hired me in the first place. They wanted solutions, not theory. So even though the podcast was fun to make and attracted listeners, those listeners weren’t poten

 Phillipa Games, has spent more than 25 years swimming in the deep end of digital strategy and analytics. With experience across nearly 500 clients and websites that have brought in hundreds of millions of dollars, Phillipa has seen it all from the good, to the bad, and the wildly overlooked. In this conversation, we peeled back the curtain on website analytics, not the overwhelming, chart-filled dashboard version, but the real, human-centered data that tells the story of what your customers are doing (and not doing) on your site. If you  who would rather schedule a root canal than log into Google Analytics, this episode is your guide to looking at just the data that matters and learning to use it to make smarter decisions.   Key Discussion Points: Why most business owners avoid their analytics dashboards (and why that’s a mistake) What to track first — hint: it’s not bounce rate The real value in knowing if anyone actually sees your call-to-action Why long, scrolling pages might be quietly killing your conv

Imagine being a fly on the wall, hearing what people really say about your business when you’re not in the room. That’s the promise of AI-driven SEO today. I sat down with Michael Buckbee, a marketing and tech veteran, to talk about how tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are reshaping brand visibility. This isn’t your standard SEO conversation, it’s a peek behind the digital curtain to discover what AI thinks about your business. Trust me, it’s more revealing than you might expect. Whether you’re refining your brand, trying to figure out your target audience, or stalking your competitors (in the most professional way, of course), AI can offer surprisingly honest and useful feedback. If you know what to ask. Key Takeaways: AI tools reflect public perception: AI platforms synthesize massive amounts of data and offer a “consensus view” of your brand. This feedback can be shockingly accurate, or totally misaligned with your goals, but either way, it’s insight you shouldn’t ignore. Your content influences

My guest, Steven Lewis, broke one my big rules.  It is ok, to make mistakes, you just don't want to make the same mistake twice.  And he did. Yep, Steven started not one, but two businesses that were—how shall I say this?—a bit too far ahead of their time. And in this candid chat, we unpack what he learned, how it shaped the work he does today, and what you, as a business owner, can take away without having to make the same mistakes. Key Ideas  Timing is Everything (But Not Everything) Steven launched a web business in 1994 and a social media agency in 2004—both solid ideas, just way too early. He found himself selling websites before people knew what the internet was, and social media services before anyone knew what a tweet was. The market wasn't ready, and he learned the hard way that even the best ideas need the right audience at the right time. Sell the Symptom, Not the Cure Like a podiatrist treating knee pain, Steven learned that people don’t buy solutions to problems they don’t know they have. If your

Have you ever had that one brilliant idea—the one you were sure would be a game-changer—only to watch it sputter out despite all your careful planning? Oh, friend, you’re not alone.  I sat down with Whitney Bateson, a passionate entrepreneur who helps wellness professionals build their online credibility. But this time, we weren’t talking about wins, we were unpacking a launch that landed with a thud. Whitney shared the story of her well-intentioned (and very elaborate) launch strategy that missed the mark. And just like that favorite casserole recipe that looked amazing on Pinterest but turned into a burnt mess—there were lessons everywhere. So pull up a chair and let’s dive into the real, raw, and ridiculously relatable side of launching, failing, and getting back up. Key Takeaways: Keep It Simple Whitney’s biggest lesson? Simplicity wins. She over-engineered her launch with a multi-day video series that drained her energy and diluted her message. The complexity confused her audience and fractured their att