[ Heart + Smart ] Blog by Authentic Brand - Marketing content for B2B growth organizations

12Mar 2019 by Mike Bernard

Hiring an effective marketing leader: Why a two-pronged approach makes all the difference

Brand & Messaging, Fractional CMO, Marketing, Strategy & Coaching

My job allows me the unique opportunity to speak with five to ten small business leaders per week. When you get the chance to connect with this many leaders you start to gain valuable insight into what concerns are top of mind for folks who are running successful businesses. As I ask questions about their business, we always get to the topic of marketing (probably because that’s what I’m there to discuss). Most of the time, the conversation about marketing goes something like this: “We don’t currently have anyone leading marketing. In the past we’ve tried some things, but I’ve never been very convinced that they worked very well. We haven’t had a great way to measure impact. I believe our company could benefit from marketing, but we haven’t proven…

11Mar 2019 by Mike Bernard

ACTION19: Conference Recap – The Resilient Business

Brand & Messaging, Community, EOS / Traction, Event, Fractional CMO, Marketing, Strategy & Coaching

The dust hasn’t even settled on ACTION19 and we’re already looking forward to ACTION20! Authentic Brand's first-year conference was a sell-out event, bringing together more than 150 local leaders for a half-day of content focused on building a resilient business. Topics included recruiting, retention, revenue-growth, and recession-planning. Our afternoon kicked off with opening remarks from Authentic Brand’s CEO and Founder, Jennifer Zick. Since ACTION19 was held on Authentic Brand’s two-year anniversary, it was the perfect opportunity for Jennifer to share our early-stage story and what resilience has meant to her as a startup founder. It was especially fun to reflect on the impact of Two Or More since Jennifer launched the community service movement in 2017. Next up was a keynote by award-winning television anchor and radio host, Cory Hepola.…

08Feb 2019 by Emily Youngblood

Attracting Marketing Talent in a Tight Labor Market: Jennifer Zick published in Upsize Magazine

Brand & Messaging, Fractional CMO, Marketing

Authentic Brand CEO, Jennifer Zick, was published in the January/February 2019 edition of Upsize Minnesota magazine, on a topic that has become central to every client and prospect conversation: Attracting marketing talent. (more…)

01Feb 2019 by Emily Youngblood

Building a Financially Resilient Business

Brand & Messaging, Event, Marketing, Virtual Panel

Building a successful business that weathers the ups-and-downs of economic cycles takes tremendous resilience. Leveraging boom times to prepare for leaner times is critical. Knowing when to save, and when to invest, can be the difference between success and failure. (more…)

22Jan 2019 by Emily Youngblood

Planning for the Next Recession: Jennifer Zick Featured on The Business Gist Podcast

Event, Fractional CMO, Marketing, Strategy & Coaching

“Times won’t always be this rich, so how can we plan ahead for recession?” This question sparks the conversation between Jennifer Zick and Megan Effertz, host of The Business Gist podcast, as they discuss ways that business leaders can plan ahead for the next recession. Because it’s not a matter of whether it will hit, but when. “When times are good, sales and marketing budgets flourish. When times are tough, marketing is generally the first team to get hit [with cuts]. …But sales without marketing is not a formula that works in today’s modern buyer’s journey. Cutting off the life-blood of what drives brand and ongoing awareness – not just for pre-sales, but throughout the lifecycle of the customer with your business – shouldn’t even be an option on the…

22Jan 2019 by Jennifer Zick

When is a Fractional CMO Right for Your Business?

Fractional CMO

When starting a business, most founders need to focus their attention on developing their core product or service and acquiring new customers. While sales is absolutely a top priority at this stage, marketing is often on the back burner, and that's normal. (more…)

02Jan 2019 by Emily Youngblood

Jennifer Zick Debut Guest on The Founders Mentality: Testing Resilience

Community, Event, Fractional CMO, Marketing

What an honor to be invited as the debut guest on Josh Fedie’s new SalesReach podcast / vlog: The Founders Mentality. In Episode 1, Josh and I discuss the struggles that exist in getting your company started, imposter syndrome, knowing when to launch, and the importance of giving back.

02Jan 2019 by Mike Bernard

Make a “NOT-TO-DO” List for Marketing in 2019

Brand & Messaging, Digital, Fractional CMO, Marketing, Strategy & Coaching

Isn’t the New Year great? It’s time to bust out those resolutions and ring in the start of a new calendar by making a change that brings something positive to your life. Many of us will sit down and write out a list of “To-Do’s for the New Year.” (more…)

01Jan 2019 by Jennifer Zick

Take Your Company From $5 Million to $50 Million (or More) With the Marketing Leadership You Need

Fractional CMO, Marketing

Business owners and marketers around the world agree on one thing: Marketing tends to be one of the hardest areas to focus and scale when growing your business. Whatever stage your company is at, this doesn’t seem to change. (more…)

17Dec 2018 by Emily Youngblood

Social Media Breakfast presents: You’re not the boss of me. Jennifer Zick speaks to the joys and perils of being self-employed

Brand & Messaging, Event, Marketing

We were grateful to be included in a recent panel discussion at the Social Media Breakfast MSP series. The panel of entrepreneurs and independent consultants shared what it's really like to be your own boss. (more…)