Be Yourself Marketing

You ever get a stretch of time you didn't plan for ... & somehow hand it right back to the universe before you've done a thing with it?

Didn't choose it.

Didn't notice it leave.

Just ... POOF ... gone.

Turns out the time you swear you never have shows up more than you think ... it just never looks the way you pictured.

Let's look at:

→ A stretch of time I didn't ask for ... & the reflex that nearly swallowed it whole

→ Why "I finally have time" can be the tric...

Ever pour yourself into something ... felt genuinely proud of it ... & then watched it land in total silence?

No replies.

No clicks.

Nothing.

Turns out the problem might not be what you said.

It's who you forgot to leave room for.

Let's look at:

→ The thing I'm paying to build ... that almost forgot the 1 person who has to live in it

→ Why the most confident version of your story can quietly push people away

→ The single word a client of mine is terrif...

Ever feel like you have to know everything … do all of it yourself … & have it perfect … before any of it counts?

So you wait. & nothing moves.

Including you.

Turns out the part you can do today … even the part that looks like nothing … might be the only part that counts.

Let's look at:

→ The 18km I walked without ever leaving home

→ Who to ask when you don't know something … & who to never ask

→ The 1 part of the job I flat-out refused to do alone … & why that wasn't quitting...

Ever had a bad feeling about a decision...

& stayed quiet because you didn't want to be the difficult 1?

The pause. The hmm. The hand your brain raised... then talked back down.

That silence feels free in the moment... but it always invoices later.

& not just in business.

Let's look at:

→ The afternoon 3 people with zero bad intentions made 1 very expensive decision

→ Why going along can feel responsible, respectful & professional... & still be wrong

→ The 10-minute fix that was sitting in plain sight... & why nobody reache...

Ever been so deep in something that every decision starts to feel obviously correct?

That's not clarity.

That's proximity.

The gap isn't in the work.

It's in how long you've been the only 1 looking at it.

Let's look at:

→ Why the thing that made complete sense on paper didn't survive contact with the platform

→ The a review process is scoped in proposal & why that matters

→ What 300 gallons of water in the wrong place has to do with your next business decision

→ The diff...

Ever look around at everything falling apart at once & think... how did it get this bad?

You were handling it.

Each thing ... as it came up.

Until you weren't.

Let's look at:

→ What leaking barrels, a stalled generator & a Christmas tree of truck warnings have in common with a Frankenstein'd tech stack

→ Why 2 months into a client contract with ZERO emails written is exactly the right place to be → The nesting dolls that keep getting bigger instead of smaller — & what that reveals about every "fix" that came before<...

Have you ever fixed something... only to realize you were fixing the wrong thing?

The bill arrives.

Right on time.

Just not when you expected it.

Inside this episode:

→ What 100mm of rain in 3 days revealed that normal conditions kept hidden

→ Why the contractor wasn't wrong & what he conveniently left out

→ The way most marketing gets built... & why it works until it doesn't

→ 3 questions that work if you're building your own business or solving a client's problem

→ What "looking at the whole floo...

You made a change you were proud of.

& something got worse anyway.

Not dramatically.

Just quietly, unexpectedly worse ... in a way that makes you question whether good decisions are supposed to feel like this.

Let's look at:

→ The unexpected tax that shows up after you finally start doing things right & what it has to do with the safety net you might still be carrying

→ The 2 fears nobody names & why they might be the ones actually keeping you half-in

→ What happens when the net disappears & you didn't...

Ever had someone close to you ask for a "friends & family discount" on something you worked hard to build?

That small ask hits a lot harder than any cold rejection ever could.

This is part 2 of the advanced copy EG got of Jay Schwedelson's book, "Stupider People Have Done It" ... while reading it she kept finding herself in the pages in a "well, that explains a lot" kind of way.

There's 3 more reasons the voice stopping you was never yours to begin with.

Inside this episode:

→ EG shares how sh...

Ever started a project & realized somewhere in the middle that you've been working on the wrong thing entirely?

Not wrong as in bad.

Wrong as in … out of order.

& now you're the one holding the bag.

Let's look at:

→ What a window of dry weather & a pile of razor-sharp metal sheeting has to do with how you sequence your client work

→ The email engagement that's 3 weeks in … with no emails written yet & whyit's the right call

→ Where "AI slop" actually comes from (hint: it's not r...

Ever feel like you've been staring at the same mess so long you've forgotten there's another direction to face?

Still there. Still loud. Still on the list.

But not in the kitchen window anymore.

Inside this episode:

→ What 45 feet revealed about why repositioning beats fixing almost every time

→ The specific moments in your week where chaos gets more attention than it deserves

→ A deadline that wasn't on anyone's calendar... & what it feels like when the fallback disappears for good

→ The thing we call "being responsible" that's s...

Have you ever realized the thing you've been waiting on was never actually going to show up?

While the problem kept getting worse.

Let's look at:

→ The realization that finally breaks the waiting

→ A framework from 5 years of research & the uncomfortable thing it revealed about the last few months

→ Why the most dangerous beliefs are the ones that sound the most responsible

→ The 1 belief that kills more quietly than any other on the list

You'll finish this feeling less like someone who's been stuck...

Have you ever watched someone less qualified than you pull off the exact thing you've been convincing yourself you can't?

Doesn't feel great, does it?

That gap between them & you isn't talent or timing.

Let's look at:

→ The contractor situation that finally pushed me to ask "why am I waiting for permission from people who clearly have no idea what they're doing"

→ Why the voice telling you that you're not ready, not qualified, & not the kind of person this works out for... didn't actually start with you

Ever share everything that's on your plate...

& have someone zero in on exactly the wrong thing to fix?

They are't trying to get it wrong. They just didn't know enough.

We'll look at:

→ The week that tried to fit a month of chaos into a few days... & what that revealed about the advice we give ... & get

→ A 6-word story & why the same instinct that makes it brilliant quietly costs you clients

→ Why the blanks you leave don't stay empty... & what your reader fills them with instea...

What does 1 year of showing up as yourself actually look like?

Not the highlight reel.

The real numbers, the real stumbles,

& the 2 things that actually made the difference.

Inside this special anniversary episode:

→ Why the most-opened issue this year wasn't the most polished or what I expected

→ What $0 in ad spend says about how this can actually still work

→ The month with the most unsubscribes... & what came after

→ What 1 year of my proof means for whatever you're sitting on right now

Ever have 1 of those mornings where everything hurts, nothing makes sense

& the last thing you want to do is show up?

But you do anyway.

Because some things don't care how you feel.

Inside this episode:

→ The sciatica, the ice & the 80-pound dog who'd already made some decisions

→ Why "I'm my own boss" is both the best & worst excuse at the same time

→ What showing up actually looks like... warts & all ... for your business to survive

You'll finish this 1 knowin...

The storm showed up right on schedule.

So did the excuses.

Neither one was the real problem.

Inside this episode:

-> Why a foot of snow, a buried solar panel & cats with a power cord fetish aren't actually why my taxes aren't done

-> What a LinkedIn banner, a free sponsorship & a gym with 140 sign-ups & 12 show-ups all have in common

-> The difference between a reason & an excuse ... & why 1 of them you're doing to yourself

-> What real accountability looks like... & why we're surrounding ourselves...

Months of snow dumps & frigid temperatures.

Then the heat hits.

All at once.

No slow thaw.

Just... too much, too fast.

& suddenly there's water where water isn't supposed to be.

When everything comes at you faster than expected... the question isn't how to stop it.

It's how to control the flow.

Inside this episode:

-> The aiming problem most freelancers mistake for a positioning problem

-> The gut check that matters more than any checklist before you say yes...

Some weeks out here throw everything at you.

& just when you think you've seen it all...

something happens that stops you completely cold.

Didn't move.

Didn't breathe.

Had absolutely no framework for what just happened.

& the business parallel hit me harder than I expected.

Inside this episode:

Ever feel like your marketing should be working… but it’s just not landing?

Let's look at a subtle gap that most businesses miss ... especially when everything looks like it’s being done “right.”

Using real examples from two very different businesses, you’ll see why similar efforts can lead to completely different results.

Inside this episode:

Everything feels like it’s moving…

until the moment it actually matters.

That’s where things change.

Let's walk through a pattern that looks like progress on the surface

but quietly stalls people out right before anything real happens.

It’s subtle.

Easy to justify.

& incredibly common.

Inside this episode:

It’s April…

& I’m still dealing with snowstorms, frozen doors, & a property that refuses to cooperate.

Strangely enough… it mirrors what I’m seeing in business right now.

Things that look fine on the surface… but don’t hold up when it actually matters.

Inside this episode:

If your work feel...

You can read this issue of the newsletter here ...

“AI is replacing copywriters.”

That’s the story going around right now…

& it’s #FakeNews.

Let's look at what’s actually happening as AI floods the market

& why the real divide isn’t AI vs humans…

In this episode:

“I think I’m doing too many things…”

It sounds true.

It feels true.

But most of the time? It’s not the real problem.

Let's break down why the chaos in your business isn’t coming from doing too much...

it’s from saying yes to things that don't take you where you actually want to go.

Because when your work doesn’t connect to a clear outcome, everything starts to feel scattered… even if each piece technically makes sense.

Inside this episode:

We’ve all experienced it: someone asks, “So, what do you do?”

Somehow, the words that come out of your mouth don’t match what’s in your head.

The result?

Confusion, polite nods, and a conversation that dies before it even starts.

Let's dig into why this matters ... not just in face-to-face conversations,

but in your marketing, like website copy, or social posts.

Because unlike live interactions, you can't see their reactions & clarify.

They either get it, or they move on.

Y...

Marketing that fits who you are ... not who the gurus say you should be.

Read the newsletter that shapes the bonus audio.

Let's connect on LinkedIn.

Email me about topics (& guests) you'd like to hear ... Info@BeYourselfMarketing.com

This issue of the newsletter explores a tension that many business owners quietly wrestle with:

Does trying something outside your comfort zone make you inauthentic…

or is that actually part of being yourself?

After years of resisting formats like podcasting, I’m finally launching one

but not in the way I thought I “should.”

In this episode, I unpack:

What do gutters, getting scammed, & Meatloaf have to do with your business?

More than you think.

Somewhere between getting burned (again), trying to save money, & standing in the middle of an extra-frozen property (without reliable power or heat) … something clicked.

It’s one of those business lessons that sounds obvious once you hear it

but most people don’t realize they’re breaking it until things start going sideways.

This episode isn’t theory.

It’s real-time, slightly painful, & unexpectedly tied to a Meatloaf playlist that’s now stuck in m...

“Just use this proven strategy.”

Sounds safe.

Logical.

Smart.

… & it quietly kills a LOT of businesses.

Let's break down why “proven” strategies fail more often than people admit

& the 2 reasons why no one talks about: they don’t match your stage or your personality.

Because the same strategy that works for an established creator with an audience… can completely stall someone who’s just getting started.

Inside this episode:

“Proven strategies” aren’t always wrong…

They’re just often wrong for you.

Let's unpack why so many popular growth strategies (like podcasts, webinars, constant content) can feel heavy, forced, or even impossible to follow through on.

It’s not a discipline problem.

It’s a misalignment problem.

Inside this episode:

What if your business isn’t exhausting because you’re doing it "wrong"…

But because it's designed to depend on you?

Let's break down the uncomfortable realization that I didn’t build a business ...

I built a job.

One that relies on constant calls, constant availability, & constant energy.

If every dollar you make requires you to show up, perform, & manage people…

You don’t control your momentum ... your clients do.

This episode dives into:

You can also read this issue of the newsletter

Some conversations are opening doors.

Others are just noise in a blazer & boots

We'll dive into a pattern that shows up everywhere once you start paying attention…

& why it quietly wastes time, energy, & a whole lot of opportunity.

You'll hear about:

If you've...

We're breaking down a deceptively simple question that trips up a lot of entrepreneurs:

“So… what do you do?”

Early on, I answered this question the way most people do...

by explaining, over-talking, & trying to sound impressive.

It didn’t work.

Conversations died.

People disengaged.

& ultimately, it played a big role in my first business failing.

Not because I lacked skill…

But because I lacked positioning.

This episode unpacks:

This episode challenges one of the most common myths from the movies:

“If you build it, they will come.”

It sounds great… but in business, it’s completely backwards in marketing your small business.

Because the truth is , as entrepreneurs, most of us don’t fail because their website, offer, or idea is bad.

We fail because we focus on the wrong things first.

This episode breaks down:

You can read along in the newsletter as you listen ... or instead of ... your choice.

There’s one simple word that can dramatically increase your chances of getting a “yes”…

Let's break down why people don’t just want information ... they want reasons

& how one small shift in your messaging can change how your audience responds.

Backed by a classic psychology study, you’ll see why even a bad reason works better than no reason at all…

& what that means for your marketing, offers, and everyday communication.

In...

This episode challenges one of the most common (& misleading) phrases in business:

“I’m too busy.”

Because most of the time… you’re not too busy.

You’re just busy doing things that don’t actually move your business forward.

Let's break down why time management isn’t really about time...

it’s about what you choose to focus on & whether that time is being spent or invested.

You’ll learn:

You ever catch yourself doing something that makes absolutely no sense…

…but you keep doing it anyway?

Yeah. That.

I'm sharing a moment that was equal parts uncomfortable, ironic, & way more revealing than it should’ve been.

At the time, it felt harmless.

Even logical.

Looking back? Not so much.

We'll look at:

If you’ve been "busy" marketin...

Some numbers feel really good to look at.

They go up.

They look impressive.

They make it seem like things are working.

…until you take a closer look.

Let's walk through a situation that looked like progress on the surface

But underneath something's not adding up.

Inside this episode:

Ever feel like you’re trying to move forward…

& something keeps pulling you back?

Not in an obvious way.

Not in a “you can’t do that” kind of way.

Something quieter.

Let's break down a pattern most people don’t notice at first

but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.

We'll look at: