This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil unpack why your customers’ words can be some of your most powerful marketing assets, and why leaving them buried in your inbox is a missed opportunity. They explore how reviews, testimonials, case studies, and user-generated content help potential buyers feel more confident about choosing your product or service. From Phil’s surprisingly deep dive into vacuum reviews to the difference between a vague “highly recommend” and a customer story that actually addresses buying concerns, this episode shows you how to put social proof to work. They also discuss asking permission before sharing private messages, turning one customer interview into multiple pieces of content, and why an exceptional customer experience is the foundation of a meaningful review. If you have screenshots, kind emails, and glowing feedback sitting somewhere collecting digital dust, this conversation will help you get them in front of the people who need to see them.

What You’ll Learn

✔ What counts as social proof, including customer feedback you might already have in your inbox
✔ Why customer stories help reduce uncertainty around time, money, and whether your offer actually works
✔ Why burying testimonials at the bottom of your website limits their impact
✔ How to collect more descriptive feedback through thoughtful interview questions
✔ How to turn one customer conversation into emails, blogs, carousels, videos, and case studies
✔ Why permission matters before sharing private messages, even when you keep them anonymous
✔ How your customer experience and ongoing relationships shape the feedback you receive
✔ How to choose your three strongest pieces of social proof and start sharing them consistently

Connect With Us

For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia.

If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work.

Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community.

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil break down how to actually execute a Q4 marketing campaign when everyone is running a sale and your audience is drowning in emails, texts, and offers. They walk through eight best practices to help you get organized, stand out, and make it easier for customers to buy. From choosing one clear hero offer and reverse engineering your timeline to warming up your audience, segmenting your list, and testing every step of the customer journey, this episode gets into the details that can make or break your launch. They also unpack why every message should not be a sales pitch, how your community can help build trust, and why the work continues after the sale ends. If your Black Friday or holiday campaign plan is still “post more and hope for the best,” this conversation will help you turn it into something you can actually execute.

What You’ll Learn

✔ Why your campaign needs to start with one clear hero offer before you create content
✔ How to reverse engineer your timeline to account for preparation, launch, and follow-up
✔ Why warming up your audience matters before you start asking them to buy
✔ How to segment your list so new leads, loyal customers, and VIPs receive relevant messages
✔ How to simplify and test the entire customer journey, from the first click to checkout and confirmation emails
✔ Why stories, education, and testimonials belong alongside your sales messages
✔ How to bring your community into your campaign through user-generated content, reviews, and case studies
✔ Why post-purchase follow-up and a campaign review matter for customer relationships and your next launch

Connect With Us

For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia.

If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work.

Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community.

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

When it comes to brand storytelling, your About page is just the first step. Your story should guide your marketing strategy and the way you show up for your audience - and a killer story can help you build connection, trust, and an engaged community that wants to work with you!

As Senior Creative Director at global children's entertainment company Spin Master, Philip Ginther has helped shape the stories of big-name brands such as Paw Patrol and Rubik’s Cube. In this episode of Marketing Sucks, I sit down with Phil to tackle some of the biggest FAQs around copywriting for brands.

Tune in to learn Phil’s top tips for easy, consistent brand storytelling that connects, including a simple celeb-themed writing exercise that’ll help you master the tone of your brand voice without overthinking it!

Marketing sucks. Let’s learn together. Hit play to discover:‌ ‌

• Easy ways to weave your story into your marketing without making it about selling
• How to lean into your brand’s pillars and avoid stepping out of your lane
• The secret to turning user-generated content into marketing GOLD!
• The brands that are CRUSHING it right now (and what you can learn from them)

Please rate, review, and subscribe!

Guest bio: Phil Ginther is a Creative Director & Copywriter with over 14 years experience. He’s currently a Senior Creative Director at Spin Master leading global brands such as Rubik’s Cube and Hatchimals, and spends most of his day at play.

Timestamps:‌ ‌

00:12 Meet Phil Ginther

01:32 Phil’s business journey

03:15 Leaving the daily grind

05:22 Joining Spin Master

08:11 Know thyself & thy lane

10:23 Weaving story into marketing

13:29: UGC, Red Bull & Liquid Death

17:10 Brand voice exercise

22:09 Your action item

25:04 Quick-fire questions

26:06 Headphone story & outro

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are giving you a behind-the-scenes look at how they run Grind Media Group remotely while living in Portugal for the summer. They talk about what it actually takes to work abroad with kids, clients, time zones, no full-time childcare, and a business that still has to keep moving. From late-night work blocks and summer hours to client boundaries, batch working, chaotic travel days, and the reality of working in paradise without actually being on vacation, this episode pulls back the curtain on what remote entrepreneurship really looks like. Amanda and Phil also share why this lifestyle matters so much to their family, how Portugal shaped Amanda’s childhood, and why building a business with freedom at the centre has always been part of the bigger goal. If you have ever wondered how people actually make remote work, business ownership, and living abroad work in real life, this episode is a very honest look at the beauty, the chaos, and the trade-offs.

What You’ll Learn
✔ How Amanda and Phil run their agency while living in Portugal for the summer
✔ Why working abroad is not the same thing as being on vacation
✔ What their summer schedule actually looks like with kids, clients, and a five-hour time difference
✔ How they manage remote work without full-time childcare
✔ Why boundaries, expectations, and communication are essential when working from another country
✔ How batch working helps Amanda create more freedom during the summer months
✔ Why client trust and strong systems make this kind of lifestyle possible
✔ What people do not see behind the scenes of “working from paradise”
✔ How remote entrepreneurship can be both magical and completely chaotic
✔ Why building a business around your life requires discipline, flexibility, and a high tolerance for messy moments

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are joined by award-winning psychotherapist Natacha Pennycooke for a real conversation about what it actually takes to work with your partner, protect your relationship, and run a business without letting it take over your entire life. They unpack the mental load that comes with being business partners, especially when you are also married, and why entrepreneurship can put extra pressure on your nervous system, communication, boundaries, and emotional capacity. From defining roles and managing resentment to handling different risk tolerances, setting business boundaries at home, and learning how to separate couple time from work time, this episode is an honest look at the beautiful, messy, complicated reality of “couplepreneurship.” If you work with your spouse, business partner, friend, or anyone you are deeply connected to, this conversation will help you think more intentionally about what the business needs, what the relationship needs, and what you need as a human being.

What You’ll Learn
✔ Why working with your partner can add a whole new layer of mental load
✔ How entrepreneurship can impact your nervous system, relationship, and home life
✔ Why the business can start to feel like a “third person” in the relationship
✔ How to set boundaries around when business conversations happen
✔ Why defining roles clearly can prevent resentment, confusion, and micromanaging
✔ What happens when old relationship issues start showing up in the business
✔ Why accountability matters in both business partnerships and romantic relationships
✔ How to recognize patterns that may be showing up across multiple relationships
✔ What to do when one partner is risk-averse and the other is more impulsive or decisive
✔ Why weekly check-ins can help partners stay aligned, supported, and on the same page
✔ What a healthy “couplepreneur” relationship can look like in real life
✔ Why working together does not mean talking about the business every second of the day

About Natacha Pennycooke
Natacha Pennycooke is an award-winning psychotherapist, speaker, and mental health professional who supports individuals, couples, teens, and families through honest, compassionate, and deeply human therapeutic work. She is known for creating safe, supportive spaces where people can explore relationships, communication, identity, emotional patterns, stress, and life transitions with more clarity and self-trust. Through her practice, group programs, and mental health education, Natacha helps people feel seen, supported, and better equipped to navigate the messy, real parts of life.

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are talking about why email marketing is not dead, but the way most businesses are using it absolutely needs help. Instead of treating your email list like a place to blast sales messages 24/7, Amanda breaks down how to use email as a community-building tool that creates trust, conversation, loyalty, and long-term sales. They unpack why people unsubscribe, why generic newsletters fall flat, how to send emails people actually want to open, and why your brand voice matters more than ever in an inbox full of AI-generated content. From welcome sequences and abandoned cart flows to behind-the-scenes storytelling, segmentation, real tips, replies, and consistency, this episode is a practical reminder that your email list is one of the few marketing assets you actually own. If your emails feel like they are going nowhere, this conversation will help you rethink the way you show up in the inbox.

What You’ll Learn
✔ Why email marketing is still one of the most valuable tools in your business
✔ The biggest mistake businesses make when they only use email to sell
✔ How to turn your email list into a community-building tool
✔ Why generic newsletters are not enough to keep people engaged
✔ What kind of tips and content make people actually want to open your emails
✔ How behind-the-scenes storytelling can build trust and connection
✔ Why segmentation matters if you want better clicks, sales, and engagement
✔ How to use testimonials in a way that feels human, not lazy or generic
✔ Why AI-written emails can weaken your brand voice and connection
✔ Which automations and flows every business should have set up
✔ How welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, post-purchase emails, nurture emails, and re-engagement emails can support sales
✔ Why consistency matters more than sending emails every single day
✔ How to audit your email strategy, flows, calendar, and content so your list actually starts working for you

Connect With Us

For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia.

If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work.

Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community.

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are joined by Dr. Adrienne Shnier, founder and CEO of Apply Yourself Global, for a conversation about scaling a business without losing your integrity. Adrienne shares the story of how AYG grew from helping students with applications at a Starbucks table to becoming a revolutionary company for student success, admissions support, test prep, academic coaching, and career development. Together, they unpack why fear-based marketing, bogus guarantees, and big-box business tactics do not belong in a company built on trust, care, and real outcomes. From staying in your lane and refusing to lower your standards to building strong foundations, listening to your community, and creating offers based on what people actually need, this episode is a reminder that scaling slowly, intentionally, and ethically is not a weakness. It is the whole point. If you have ever felt pressure to market like everyone else, promise more than you can deliver, or rush the growth of your business, this conversation will bring you back to what actually matters.

What You’ll Learn
✔ How Apply Yourself Global started organically from Adrienne helping students at Starbucks
✔ Why AYG was built on integrity, student support, and real admissions committee insight
✔ What it means to scale a business without relying on fear-based marketing
✔ Why bogus guarantees can attract the wrong energy and damage trust
✔ How Adrienne stayed in her lane while other companies used pressure, panic, and big-box tactics
✔ Why strong foundations matter more than fast growth
✔ How building with integrity can feel slow, but creates a more sustainable business
✔ Why listening to your community is one of the best ways to create aligned offers
✔ How AYG expanded into admissions support, LSAT, MCAT, DAT prep, and academic coaching based on real student needs
✔ Why standards do not need to be lowered in order to grow
✔ How trust, care, and human connection can become your strongest brand differentiators
✔ Why ethical marketing is not just about what you say, but how people feel when they interact with your brand

About Dr. Adrienne Shnier
Dr. Adrienne Shnier is the founder and CEO of Apply Yourself Global, a student success and admissions support company helping students from high school through graduate, professional school, and beyond. With more than 15 years of experience on admissions committees, as a professor, lawyer, program director, and academic coach, Adrienne brings a deeply informed, human-first approach to admissions, test prep, academic success, and career development. Through AYG, she and her team support students with integrity, strategy, mindset, and personalized coaching, helping clients build strong applications, stronger confidence, and sustainable success.

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com

This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are talking about why thinking about Christmas in the summer might suck, but scrambling through Q4 sucks even more. In this episode, they break down why July and August are the perfect time to start planning your holiday campaigns, Black Friday promotions, Cyber Monday offers, year-end campaigns, new year launches, corporate budget pushes, events, and annual recaps. Amanda explains why Q4 is not just “holiday content,” it is often one of the biggest revenue windows of the year, and why waiting until the fall can cost you money, sanity, and team capacity. From reviewing last year’s campaign data and mapping your promotional calendar to planning photo shoots, landing pages, email flows, inventory, ad budgets, and team resources, this episode is your reminder that a profitable Q4 does not happen by accident. If you want your year-end marketing to feel strategic instead of chaotic, this is your sign to start now.

What You’ll Learn
✔ Why Q4 marketing planning should start in the summer
✔ Why “Christmas in July” is not just a cute phrase, it is a smart business move
✔ What actually happens in Q4 beyond holiday shopping
✔ Why Black Friday, Cyber Monday, year-end campaigns, new year campaigns, events, and corporate budgets all need a real plan
✔ What product-based businesses need to prepare before Q4, including inventory, shoots, packaging, shipping, landing pages, and email campaigns
✔ What service-based businesses need to think about, including discovery calls, lead generation, fall programs, cohorts, warm leads, and capacity
✔ Why reviewing last year’s campaign data should come before building this year’s plan
✔ How to map your promotional calendar so you can see the real workload behind every launch
✔ Why too many overlapping offers can confuse your audience and exhaust your team
✔ How poor planning can lead to rush fees, missed sales, burnout, and messy execution
✔ Why summer is the best time to create strategy, set direction, and protect your future self
✔ What to do now if you have not started planning your Q4 campaigns yet

—

📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com.

🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall

Get social

Instagram: @grindsocialmedia

Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA

📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me!

Podcasting support

Production: theultimatecreative.com