Getting a bad Google review can feel like a punch in the gut—but what if we told you it could actually boost your visibility? In this Marketing Duo episode, Cinthia and I chat about why negative reviews on your Google Business Profile aren’t the disaster they seem, how to respond without getting emotional, and the surprising ways they help your SEO. We’re diving into: ✨ Why Google wants to see a mix of reviews ✨ The right way to respond to negative feedback ✨ A simple way to get more ...

On this episode of Agency Nation Radio, we chat with Marianne Policastro-Wik, owner of Insurance Associates of Central CT in Wethersfield, Connecticut. Raised in Hartford, Connecticut—once known as the insurance capital of the world—Policastro-Wik found the industry to be a natural fit. But it was her passion for helping others that truly defined her path. With a foundation in social work and a trajectory into senior leadership, she has built a career grounded in relationships and

In this episode, we have Dave Glaser, a two‑decade pedigree in enterprise payments—from early work at CyberSource, through senior roles at WorldPay and MasterCard. Dave modernizes the decades‑old banking network and makes bank‑account payments feel as seamless as credit‑card transactions online. His focus is narrowly honed on account‑to‑account flows, supporting both “pay‑ins” (receivables) and “pay‑outs” (payables) through a digital wallet that sits between the two, enabling businesses to move

Gresham Harkless shares his personal story: a string of layoffs in his early 20s left him frustrated, embarrassed, and feeling undervalued after years of broken promises and unstable jobs. Those setbacks rekindled an entrepreneurial itch he’d had since childhood—selling chips on the playground and taking sales gigs in college. After twelve years of running a six‑figure digital‑marketing firm and interviewing over 1,600 CEOs, he realized the key to resilience is finding the right franchise, not just

What if the most effective marketing you’ll run this quarter isn’t an ad at all? We make the case that customer experience is your strongest growth channel, and we break down exactly how to design it so referrals, reviews, and repeat purchases happen on purpose. In this episode, we start by defining customer experience as every interaction across your website, social, chat, store, and support. Then we connect the dots: fast replies, a clear return policy, and an easy booking or checkout flow...

In today's episode, I chat with Rishabh Gupta, Product Lead at Partao and freelance GTM engineer, about building foundational outbound systems for early-stage startups. We dive deep into his approach to GTM engineering, exploring how he discovered that email-only campaigns don't work and why multi-channel outreach (email, calls, SMS, WhatsApp) is critical for Fortune 500 targets. Rishabh shares his journey from growth marketer to GTM engineer, explaining how his technical background

Get your personalized AI Growth Cheatsheet here. Check out a great highlight from Jon's chat with Jason Fried, founder of 37signals.This clip is from episode 128, originally aired in May 2024. You can find the original episode at this link, or on your favourite streaming platform.___Follow JD across social: LinkedIn | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | ThreadsSubscribe to JD's newsletter here.Get a free Marketing ROI Checkup with JD's team here.Grow your business with JD's marketing

In this episode, we have Maria Rapetskaya founder of Undefined Creative, which now boasts a nine‑year track record and a small, fully remote team of four dedicated staff. Undefined Creative specializes in motion‑graphics and end‑to‑end creative production. The firm handles everything from initial scripting and branding to sound mixing, shoot organization, and final delivery. Over time, the agency has secured high‑profile clients like A&E Networks, NHL, NBC Universal, and the United Nations,

In this episode, Gresham reflects on the steep learning curve of his one‑year franchise‑broker program, now 276 days in, noting that the experience has been far tougher than expected. He describes how competing priorities, imposter syndrome, and a lack of closed deals have forced him to reassess his focus. Using a vivid gym metaphor (pushing a weighted sled), Gresham illustrates the temptation to “look up” and over‑analyze versus staying “head‑down” and grinding. He underscores that business

We chat about SEO versus beautiful website design and why you don’t have to choose between the two! We break down how to create a website that’s both visually appealing and optimized for search engines, so it works for both your audience and Google. YOU WILL LEARN: Why solely focusing on design or SEO leaves money on the table. How Google evaluates user experience and why it impacts rankings. The importance of balancing strategic headlines, copy, and navigation for both vis...

🎙️ New Podcast Episode – How to Make Your Small Business Truly Valuable Want to build a business that’s worth more? Whether you plan to sell it one day or simply create more freedom for yourself. In this episode, I share a proven formula for making your small business super profitable and in turn, far more valuable. We’ll chat about: ✅ Why profit margin is the real measure of value ✅ How to confidently charge what you’re worth ✅ The power of specialisation ✅ Real-life examples ...

In this episode, Gresham delves into the mindset behind his venture, using the mantra “finish the fight”—a phrase he recalled from a training‑camp T‑shirt—to illustrate the relentless mental battle entrepreneurs face.He describes how doubts, funding challenges, and personal hardships (including the loss of his beloved dog) can sap motivation, yet stress the importance of staying locked‑in, persisting through monotony, and using emotional drivers as long‑term fuel rather than short‑term fixes. This

In today's episode, I chat with Nayab Osaf, a GTM engineer at StackOptimise, about her journey from HR recruiter to outbound expert and how her team achieves remarkable results through high-volume testing and AI-powered personalization.We dive deep into StackOptimise's aggressive testing methodology, where Nayab launched 13 different campaigns in one day to rapidly discover message-market fit. She shares her philosophy on combining email, LinkedIn, and cold calling into an effective

Staring at your phone with zero content ideas is painfully common. ChatGPT can unlock what's already in your brain—without killing your unique voice or creative process. DM me on Instagram and let's chat about making ChatGPT work for your business. Join GROW Business & Marketing membership: https://peggyrejames.com/grow-membership/ Ready to work less and make more through a scalable business model? Enrollment is open for GROW Business & Marketing Academy - Click here to ...

In this episode, Gresh emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s unique vision while continuously “building”. He explores the frustration of low leaderboard rankings, the feeling of being “mid‑tier” among roughly a hundred brokers, and the broader challenge of navigating early‑stage struggles. Despite the setbacks, he frames these hurdles as learning opportunities, stressing the need to adjust strategies, sharpen mental resilience, and keep pushing forward toward the goal of becoming a

Wrapping up their learnings from HubSpot's INBOUND marketing conference in San Francisco earlier this month, Sam takes a breather while Claudia joins Roop on the mics once again to chat about email marketing. What's working? What's changing? What's new? Claudia and Roop recap three email marketing sessions they attended with friend of the podcast, Jay Schwedelson. From subject lines that work to formatting hacks, new stats bring clarity to what’s ahead for email marketing, including insights ...

If you’ve ever felt like you’re on the never-ending hamster wheel of content creation posting, engaging, and feeding the algorithm just to stay visible you’re not alone.In today’s episode, I’m breaking down why Pinterest is the solution business owners have been craving: a platform that gives your content a longer shelf life, helps you reach people actively searching, and lets you step off the daily posting treadmill. Here’s what we’ll cover: ✨ Why social media leaves business owners

In this episode, we have Mickie Kennedy, founder of eReleases, who turned a creative‑writing degree and a grueling wait‑staff job into a 25‑year PR career that helps small businesses get national media coverage without the huge budgets of big brands. He learned early that raw data alone doesn’t attract journalists; stories need a hook and context. By building a Rolodex of ~10,000 journalists and partnering with PR Newswire for high‑volume, discounted distribution, he provides an affordable

In this episode, we have Adam Goodcoff, a fourth‑year medical student who transformed his early struggles with imposter syndrome into a thriving online brand called The Med Life. Focusing on a blend of study tips, travel hacks, and lifestyle content that showcases how medical professionals can enjoy life beyond the hospital or classroom. Adam’s growth strategy hinged on two core ideas: relentless work ethic (“hustle, grind, stay humble”) and personal connection with his audience. Looking ahead, he

Get your personalized AI Growth Cheatsheet here. Check out a great highlight from Jon's chat with Drew Green, CEO of INDOCHINO.This clip is from episode 129, originally aired in May 2024. You can find the original episode at this link, or on your favourite streaming platform.___Follow JD across social: LinkedIn | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | YouTube | ThreadsSubscribe to JD's newsletter here.Get a free Marketing ROI Checkup with JD's team here.Grow your business with JD's marketing