Growing your customer base is critical to sustaining any business. But when it comes to marketing, you can’t forget about your most important audience — your current customers. People that already know you can be your biggest advocates. “The best audience I have are the people I know — who already know what I’m doing, already are in communication with me, and have already joined my mailing list,” says Tom Agostino, live concert promoter and producer as well as the owner of The Folk Sessions. If you go to Tom’s shows, you’re on his mailing list. And if you enjoyed the show, you’re ideally telling your friends about Tom’s work and continuing to support him. In turn, he sells more tickets.On this episode of Constant Contact’s podcast, Be a Marketer, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Tom about how he’s adjusted his marketing strategy over the last 20 years to continue selling out music venues.Tune in to hear how Tom fast-tracks his decision-making process and how to build trust with your audience through educational content.Meet Today’s Guest: Tom Agostino of The Folk Sessions☕ What he does: Tom is a concert promoter and producer coming up on 20 years of bringing folk music to the Prescott, Arizona, area through The Folk Sessions. As a business owner, Tom has used Constant Contact to educate his audience, sell tickets, and stay in close communication with his recurring customers — a group that he identifies as his most important audience.💡 Key quote: “Basically, what I've had to do is educate my audience to this kind of music and get them to trust that if I'm bringing somebody to town, they’re good. That’s basically all you need to know. I'm bringing them, so they're good. I had to earn that. I earned that respect.”👋 Where to find him: Facebook 👋 Where to find Folk Sessions: Website | Facebook | Twitter | SoundCloudIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

When marketing your business, it’s so tempting to want to talk only about your business. These are our services. This is what we can do to help. Here’s why we’re great. But Gab Leonetti, marketing director at Wolf Commercial Real Estate (WCRE), reminds us that it’s not about you… at least not at first.“In order for us to be able to assist and be able to help our clients, you have to know what they're up against, or what they're facing, or what their challenges are,” she says. “Build the relationship. Ask about people's lives. Ask about what they're doing, what their successes are, where they need help.”It may seem counterintuitive, but when you focus on the customer and their needs, they become more interested in you.On this episode of Constant Contact’s podcast, Be a Marketer, host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks to Gab about what business owners can do to better relate to their customers.Tune in to hear how Gab uses data and analytics to inform key marketing decisions, as well as how to get hyper-targeted in your messaging so you reach the right audience.Resources mentioned by Dave: 👉 How to A/B test an email subject line👉 How to test your way to higher converting emails [webinar] Meet Today’s Guest: Gab Leonetti of Wolf Commercial Real Estate☕ What she does: Gab is the marketing director for Wolf Commercial Real Estate in South Jersey. She’s a one-woman team focused on driving revenue and expansion for the company. A long-time Constant Contact user, Gab is well-versed in utilizing email marketing to reach her target audience. 💡 Key quote: “I think that as a marketer, it's always great to try new stuff and to research what else is out there, what could you be doing better. But it's also important to be strategic about what you're doing. It's important to know your ROI. You want to make sure that [with] everything that you're doing there is a plan.”👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Wolf Commercial Real Estate: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | LinkedIn | TwitterIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Omar Zenhom learned all of his best sales tricks from his dad, a car salesman. “He really wasn't somebody that tried to sell anybody anything. He would try to ask a lot of questions. … He would ask things like, ‘What don't you like about your car right now?’ And he would highlight the features of the car that he was selling to them that would fit their needs,” he explains.Omar applies the same logic to how he teaches entrepreneurs to sell, both in his podcast, The $100 MBA, and his business, Webinar Ninja. It’s never about a gimmicky hard sell or a flashy demo. Instead, selling is about removing barriers and making decisions easy for customers. Tune in to this episode of the Constant Contact podcast, Be a Marketer. Host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, and Omar discuss prioritizing yourself as an entrepreneur, conventional but effective marketing methods, and how the soft sell is often the best tactic. 👉 Check out Dave as a guest teacher on Omar’s The $100 MBA podcast here. Meet Today’s Guest: Omar Zenhom of Webinar Ninja☕ What he does: Omar is a former teacher turned marketing and business guru. His podcast, $100 MBA, won Best of iTunes in 2014, and his SaaS company, Webinar Ninja, now has over 30,000 users. 💡 Key quote: “I see entrepreneurship very much like American football. You can't play every day; you have to play once a week. It's such a high-contact sport. It's very taxing on you. At some point, you're going to have to start playing golf. You just can't burn the candle on both ends forever.”👋 Where to find him: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn👋 Where to find Webinar Ninja: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | TwitterIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Ah, the snowbird life. It’s a great luxury if you can come by it, but there’s always a house somewhere that sits empty. And with that long-empty house comes inherent security and maintenance risks. That’s where Frank Fantasia found the sweet spot for his retirement business, The House Watchers. Serving the greater Boston area, he and his small team identify security threats and maintenance needs for the vacant homes left behind by snowbirds and help homeowners take steps to protect them. Frank relies on Constant Contact for his marketing, and he’s willing to try anything. He’s taken advantage of its email, dedicated landing pages, and surveys. Recently, Frank even started using Constant Contact’s text messaging feature to reach the realtors on his list. Tune in as Frank chats with Constant Contact’s Director of Small Business Success, Dave Charest, about his lessons in business, and how he uses Constant Contact and more traditional marketing methods to spread the word about The House Watchers.Meet Today’s Guest: Frank Fantasia of The House Watchers☕ What he does: After a corporate career, Frank started The House Watchers as a retirement job. The company helps snowbirds find peace of mind while they’re away from their Boston-area homes and also helps realtors with required smoke detector checks.💡 Key quote: “I know why small businesses go out of business. For a lot of obvious issues, you can't take your eye off the ball. You’ve just got to stick to the basics and can't be pie in the sky. It's not something that happens overnight. You build the business one client at a time.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find The House Watchers: Website | FacebookIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Some of the best lessons in business come from sports. Just ask former Arizona State football player Dereck E. Moore.Dereck bought Building Maintenance of Tomorrow in Costa Mesa, California, in 2011 and remains the company’s president and CEO. One of Dereck’s biggest lessons from his time as a student-athlete was the value of leaning on coaches and mentors. He receives guidance from colleagues in the industry, a business coach, and a spiritual mentor. Dereck also stays true to his company’s values when choosing employees and clients. “We try to identify clients that can embrace [our] core values and believe in the same type of things and how to do business. I made a conscious decision a few years ago that all money is not good money. And I'm not going to take every client, and I'm going to be very strategic and deliberate about the clients that we do take on.”Tune in to this episode of Be A Marketer to hear Dereck talk with host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. They discuss coaching, spreading the word, providing stellar customer service, and leading with values. 👉 Learn more about 100 Black Men of America, an organization where Dereck mentors. Meet Today’s Guest: Dereck E. Moore of Building Maintenance of Tomorrow☕ What he does: Dereck owns Buliding Maintenance of Tomorrow, a California-based janitorial company. He prides himself on finding employees and customers that align with the company’s values of faith, integrity, impact, and abundance. He’s been a Constant Contact user for several years.💡 Key quote: “To win any type of game, you have to have the right team, the right teammates, and the right coach. There is somebody that knows more than you that can tell you a better way to do it. And you need to follow the script — they can put the blueprint together. But when it's time to go play on the field, then you go out there and do your job, and get it done. And as long as we're in sync, we have an opportunity to win.”👋 Where to find him: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Building Maintenance of Tomorrow: Website | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Sometimes, the security of the corporate world wins over striking out on your own. For Scharrell Jackson, a single mom of three, that was true. But after years of working for one company at a time, Scharrell decided she was ready to share her gifts with more businesses. In the last year, she fully leaned into her consulting business and keynote speaking. And just like how she encourages business leaders, Scharrell took the time to reflect on her ideal destiny. “You need to get clear on what your destiny is — your end game. That is different from your goals. Oftentimes, we lead our lives based on transactions, as opposed to really lining your life up with what your goals are, in alignment with your destiny for your life,” Scharrell says.On this episode of Be a Marketer, Scharrell and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talk about getting clarity on your marketing strategy, segmenting audiences, and making the most of analytics.Tune in to hear how to get clear on your destiny, pack your bench for success, and not only get to the championship game, but win it, too. 👉 Want to attend Scharrell’s next Leadership in Heels event? Get more info here. Meet Today’s Guest: Scharrell Jackson of STJ Consulting Services and Leadership in Heels☕ What she does: Scharrell is an experienced organizational and financial executive, consultant, and keynote speaker. From small businesses to multimillion-dollar companies, she helps business leaders of all sizes. Scharrell especially enjoys working in diversity, equity, and inclusion, women’s issues, and leadership spaces.💡 Key quote: “Make sure that you have individuals on your bench that can fill in the gaps that you can't. You're one person and you cannot do it all. The goals and objectives that you have for your business are attainable if you have the right people walking alongside you.”👋 Where to find her: Website | LinkedInIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Striking out on your own after years in the corporate world is scary. But for a marketing guru like Dave Gerhardt, that transition was a little less daunting. All he needed was the right story.Dave’s online community, Exit Five, helps B2B marketers unlock the secrets of the industry — and according to him, it all starts with the brand story. Specifically, he recommends asking yourself, “What are you looking to do and for whom?”Dave joins Constant Contact’s Director of Small Business Success and host, Dave Charest, to share his top gems from his storied career in marketing. Listen in as Dave Gerhardt walks you through building a marketing plan from a story, overcoming imposter syndrome, and setting goals for success — even when you’re your own boss. Meet Today’s Guest: Dave Gerhardt of Exit Five☕ What he does: Dave is a former marketing executive and now founder of Exit Five, an online community of B2B marketers. 💡 Key quote: “You can’t do great marketing without a strong connection to the product that you're building and the customer that you're serving.”👋 Where to find him: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Podcast👋 Where to find Exit Five: Website | Twitter | PodcastIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Pet health problems aren’t always solved by a trip to the vet — a problem that Pam Roussell knows all too well. A longtime cat lover and holistic health practitioner, Pam’s cat boutique, Purrrfectly Holistic, gives pet owners alternative approaches to healing their furry friends.For the last seven years, Pam’s been connecting felines and their owners to services and products that look outside the box. In the last year, however, she decided to go full-time with Purrrfectly Holistic and saw significant growth within just 30 days of making the leap.Though Pam is the sole owner of her business, she’s not in it alone. She credits many people in the pet care community and the apps that support her ecommerce for helping her along the way. On this episode of Be a Marketer, Pam and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, walk through her experience growing and marketing Purrrfectly Holistic.Tune in to hear how Pam coordinates her social media and email marketing efforts, her advice for finding your people, and tips for getting the most out of Constant Contact, even as a non-techy person.Meet Today’s Guest: Pam Roussell of Purrrfectly Holistic🐈 What she does: Pam is a board-certified holistic health practitioner and longtime cat lover. She owns Purrrfectly Holistic, which provides holistic health products and services to both cat and dog owners looking for alternatives in pet care. She’s been using Constant Contact since she started her business over seven years ago.💡 Key quote: “Be true to yourself. Don't try to copy other people or other businesses. Don't compromise on your values.”👋 Where to find her: LinkedIn👋 Where to find Purrrfectly Holistic: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

There wasn’t a lot of forethought before Chris and Mary Ginder decided to start a hot sauce company. Chris had the idea one day and suddenly became obsessed with making and selling their own fresh pepper hot sauce.It wasn’t simple. Because of their commitment to quality and compliance, it took three years to actually launch the business and sell the first case of Gindo’s Spice of Life in 2011. And it hasn’t always been easy since, like when the couple moved from Los Angeles to Illinois to take control of the manufacturing and work with local farmers. Just when things were looking up, the COVID-19 pandemic brought a host of other challenges.But the Ginders adapted by making a plan and staying connected with their community.Listen in to the latest episode of the Be a Marketer podcast to hear Mary and Chris discuss the ups and downs of their business with host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact. Find out how the Ginders try to bring the engagement of their in-person events online, keep sales consistent throughout the year, and maximize results from their bi-monthly newsletter.Meet Today’s Guests: Chris and Mary Ginder of Gindo’s Spice of Life💵 What they do: Chris and Mary are hot sauce makers and owners of Gindo’s Spice of Life, a line of handcrafted, award-winning hot sauces with ingredients from local farmers. They had the idea in 2008, launched the business in April 2011, and then moved it to Illinois in 2015.💡 Key quote: “[Community] is a huge part of our business. Our mission statement is we make fresh pepper hot sauces designed to inspire creativity in the kitchen and support local farms and businesses. It’s everything for us.” –Mary💡 Key quote: “We took it as an opportunity. How can this business survive a move at this stage in the game from Los Angeles to the Midwest? What are the things that were working? What are the things we want to change? How are we going to approach our business? It was almost like we got to start over. And diving into the community and becoming immersed in that was a big part of it, for sure.” –Chris👋 Where to find them: Website | Twitter | Chris' LinkedIn | Mary’s LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Becoming a serial entrepreneur wasn’t in Ramon Ray’s original plan.As a child, he dreamed of becoming an FBI agent. But Ramon had an entrepreneurial spirit and launched a one-person computer consulting side hustle while he was still working full-time at the United Nations. While that business wasn’t the right fit for Ramon long-term, it fueled his hunger to run his own business and introduced him to the online space and the world of content.After owning five businesses, selling three, and preparing to launch several more, Ramon can see how his experiences have changed how he runs his businesses. “In 2005, buying the first domain — it was transactional, just survival. But, as we get older, we get wiser, and now I’m very purposefully thinking, I want to build generational wealth. I want to give money to others. I want to live a little better life today,” he explains.Ramon joins host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, on this week’s episode. Ramon shares his continued focus on incorporating marketing into all aspects of his business and leaning into social media trends. Meet the Guest: Ramon Ray of ZoneofGenius.com💵 What he does: Ramon is an entrepreneur, small business expert, and motivational speaker. He has sold three of the five businesses he has owned. His current projects are Zone of Genius and BWC Daily. 💡 Key quote: “Some people out there [are] always looking for a buck. … Instead of looking for the sale first, why not consider doing things just to build brand and awareness? Sometimes people ask me, You do this for free? You don't make any money? Why did you fly there just to speak, when they didn't pay you? You never know who is in the audience — someone is sitting in the front row and then he hires me to speak. So, if I can add value, why not live that way?”👋 Where to find him: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn | Facebook | InstagramIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Running a tea house is one of the last things you’d picture for a WNBA star and four-time Olympic gold medalist. In fact, it’s not even what Tamika Catchings saw herself doing. But in 2017, Tamika bought Tea’s Me Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana. She has since expanded to a second location — even while navigating the business challenges that arose from the COVID-19 pandemic. For Tamika, bringing people together is foundational. “I didn't get into it to get rich. I got into it because of the community and … to bring people together and build this,” she says on the premiere episode of Be a Marketer, a podcast designed to help Constant Contact customers make progress at any stage of their marketing journey.What has worked for Tea’s Me Cafe so far? On the debut episode of Constant Contact’s new podcast, Be a Marketer, Tamika and host Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, unpack the tea house’s marketing opportunities and challenges. Tune in to hear how Tea’s Me uses social media to engage its community, what’s working for email list building, and how the tea house launched an ambassador program to complement these efforts. 👉 Check out the full recording of the event mentioned in this episode. Meet the Guest: Tamika Catchings☕ What she does: Tamika is a WNBA Hall of Famer, four-time Olympic gold medalist, speaker, community leader, and the owner of Tea’s Me Cafe in Indianapolis, Indiana. She purchased the business in 2017 and expanded to a second location. She has been a Constant Contact customer since April 2022. 💡 Key quote: “You can’t be me, and I don’t want you to be me, but I want you to be the best that you can be. Because when you operate at your best, no matter where you go in the world, whatever happens next, you will be better, and you will continue to operate at your best. That’s the only thing that I want.”👋 Where to find her: Website | Twitter | LinkedIn👋 Where to find Tea’s Me Cafe: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeIf you love this show, please leave us a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.

Be a Marketer with Dave Charest is a podcast designed for Constant Contact customers. Find out what to expect so you can make progress from wherever you are in your marketing journey.