Today I am handing the mic to someone who has earned every bit of what she has built.

Maria Abercrombie of My Vibes Co is one of those rare people who combine genuine warmth with a seriously sharp business mind. She moved to New Zealand from Brazil in her twenties with a vision, built a career from the ground up, created a life that is genuinely beautiful, and is now helping small business owners do the same through smart systems, digital tools, and the kind of coaching that actually meets people where they are.

In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to automate and scale a small business without losing the human element that made people choose you in the first place. Maria brings the kind of practical intelligence that cuts through the noise and the kind of energy that makes you feel like you can actually do this.

She is a community leader, a business builder, a mother, and someone I am genuinely proud to call a friend.

Go follow her work and go listen to everything she is putting out into the world. It is worth your time.

Follow Maria on Instagram: instagram.com/me.vibes.co

Listen to her podcast on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/65zlFF9iruorXiAQ1eEX5L

There is a cost to going quiet. Not a dramatic, scandal-level cost. Just a slow, steady erosion of relevance that happens when a brand stops showing up, and the world moves on without it.

This episode is about the Gap, but it is really about every business that has ever convinced itself that staying off social media is a neutral decision. It is not neutral. It has a number, and that number is 8.2 million people who stopped actively thinking about a brand in a single six-month window because the brand was not in the room.

I worked at the Gap in the 90s. I folded the denim wall on Sunday mornings before the store opened. I loved that brand. And watching it quietly lose cultural ground over the years, not through scandal or failure but through withdrawal, has been one of the most instructive brand stories I have followed.

We talk about what silence actually costs, what the comeback required, and what any business, whether you are selling denim or design services or professional expertise, can take from this story. We also get into the brands doing it right right now, the social media data that still gets ignored in boardrooms, and why the first step is always just starting.

If you are in a meeting this week trying to convince someone that social media is a legitimate business development tool and not a vanity exercise, this episode gives you the numbers to back that conversation.

My name is Francesca Alexander. I am the founder of Social Global Grind and the Hustle and Glow Network. You can reach me at francesca@socialglobalgrind.com.

For all other links check out: https://linkin.bio/francescahustles

Brand Reputation: Amanda Batula of Summer House

What happens to your brand when you stay silent while the story keeps moving?

In this episode, I unpack what the recent narrative surrounding Amanda Batula on Summer House reveals about reputation, visibility, and the real cost of saying nothing when attention turns toward you.

This is not a celebrity story. It is a visibility lesson.

When founders go quiet during uncertainty, audiences do not pause and wait for clarity. They interpret signals. They fill gaps. And those interpretations begin shaping trust long before you realise it is happening.

Inside this episode:

• why silence rarely protects reputation
• how audiences build narratives without permission
• what vagueposting teaches us about brand sentiment
• why consistency signals leadership in uncertain moments
• how visibility shapes opportunities before you walk into the room

Because reputation is built not only on what you say.

It is built through what people experience when you are not speaking.

If this episode resonates, the next step is learning how to stay visible in a way that feels natural, strategic, and sustainable.

Start here:
https://linkin.bio/francescahustles/

— Francesca Alexander
Founder, Social Global Grind
Hustle and Glow Network

#BrandReputation #FounderVisibility #PersonalBrandStrategy #DigitalMarketingNZ #WomenInBusiness #SocialMediaStrategy #LeadershipPresence #HustleAndGlow #SocialGlobalGrind

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HUSTLE AND GLOW PODCAST Episode One: State of Play - Catching Up on Digital Marketing in 2026

Most small businesses in New Zealand are still running a 2015 marketing strategy in a 2026 world. And it's costing them, in visibility, in revenue, and in relevance.

This is the episode I wish someone had made three years ago. Not a lecture. Not a jargon-heavy breakdown that leaves you more confused than when you started. Just a straight, honest conversation about where digital marketing actually stands right now, what's changed, what still matters, and what you can start doing today without a big agency budget or a full time marketing team.

We talk about why New Zealand SMEs are behind the curve and what that gap is actually costing businesses that don't know they're leaving money on the table. We look at the shift from traditional to digital-first strategy, what that means practically, and why the businesses getting it right aren't necessarily the biggest ones in the room. I share real examples, walk you through the fundamentals you need to understand before you touch an ad account or post another piece of content, and give you things you can actually activate yourself before this episode is over.

And if you're wondering whether there's a community of women doing this work alongside you, I'll tell you about that too.

This is episode one of Hustle and Glow. Welcome to the room.

In this episode:

• What digital marketing actually means in 2026 and why the old definition is holding you back
• Why New Zealand SMEs are behind globally and the real cost of staying there
• The shift from traditional to digital-first marketing strategy
• Real brand examples doing it right without massive budgets
• Practical digital marketing activation steps you can take today
• How the Hustle and Glow Network supports women in business at every stage

Keywords: digital marketing 2026, digital marketing strategy, small business marketing New Zealand, SME marketing, social media strategy, digital marketing for beginners, content marketing, personal branding, women in business, business growth strategy, marketing tips, online marketing, digital authority, AI marketing, marketing for entrepreneurs, New Zealand business, hustle and glow, Francesca Alexander, Auckland business, marketing podcast

Join the Hustle and Glow community: Events: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/o/hustle-and-glow-network-120728162580

Everything else:
https://linkin.bio/francescahustles/

What happened at the 2026 BAFTA Film Awards wasn't just a headline. It was a masterclass in how institutions fail when it matters most, and why the way organisations respond to harm says everything about who they actually are.

In this episode of Hustle and Glow, we're breaking down the BAFTA incident as a digital PR case study, not to have opinions about something that isn't ours to centre, but to look clearly at what went wrong, what a genuine response looks like, and why in 2026 we still have to have this conversation.

We talk about the difference between a real apology and corporate deflection. We talk about what it means to actually advocate for communities that have been harmed versus performing allyship for an audience. And we talk about why racism is harmful, full stop, and why zero tolerance isn't a political position, it's just the baseline.

If you're a creator, a business owner, or a brand trying to figure out how to show up with integrity when something like this happens, this one's for you.

Come find us and keep the conversation going:

Events and community: https://www.eventbrite.co.nz/o/hustle-and-glow-network-120728162580

Everything else:
https://linkin.bio/francescahustles/

In this episode, I open with my take on the Bad Bunny performance and why cultural ownership, visibility, and unapologetic presence matter more than ever.

From there, we move into something deeper. The rooms we sit in shape the conversations we have. And the conversations we have shape the businesses we build.

I share why I launched Hustle and Glow Network in Ponsonby at The Longroom, what makes it different from traditional networking, and why women-led, strategy-forward spaces are essential in 2026.

We talk digital authority, AI, business visibility, and why so many leaders feel behind when they are actually just in the wrong room.

If you are building something real and want to sit in a room that reflects your next level, this episode is for you.

To find out more, click here:
to find out more
linkin.bio/francescahustles

In this Podcast, Lola shares her adventures in the United states of America as well as the beautiful beaches of the Bahamas. We discuss how different it was to be outside of New Zealand, feeling at home in the Bahamas and some of the bittersweet experiences. From saying she would never step foot in America, to now planning her next trip back to Los Angeles, we dive into the culture shocks and much more.

... ... ...

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FIND ME US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Francesca on Instagram

Social Global Grind on Instagram

Social Global Grind on TikTok

Francesca on LinkedIn

Social Global Grind on Pinterest

HUSTLE AND GLOW COMMUNITY and MEETUP GROUP:

https://www.meetup.com/Auckland-Hustle-and-Glow/

CHECK OUT SOCIAL COLLAB:

https://hustleandglow.com/

In this podcast, we discuss what's going on with Nene Leakes.

... ... ...

DOES THIS EPISODE NEED MORE EXPLANATION?

Awesome I am here to help!

Click here and book your free social media audit or consultation.

FIND ME US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Francesca on Instagram

Social Global Grind on Instagram

Social Global Grind on TikTok

Francesca on LinkedIn

Social Global Grind on Pinterest

HUSTLE AND GLOW COMMUNITY and MEETUP GROUP:

https://www.meetup.com/Auckland-Hustle-and-Glow/

CHECK OUT SOCIAL COLLAB:

https://hustleandglow.com/