The Table: Marketing, Strategy, and Building a Business That Works in Real Life

Mise en Plan | Dani Henneberger
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Pull up a chair for the conversations you'd actually want to have at a dinner party full of founders: marketing, strategy, and building a business that works in your real life. Host Dani Henneberger, marketing advisor and founder of Mise en Plan, helps founders think like their customers, not just about them. At The Table, we share trade secrets, simple frameworks, and a fresh perspective to help you find clarity and take action. Along the way, you'll hear from guest experts with candid insights and honest advice, so you can continue to grow with purpose and in a way that feels right to you.

  1. 25 Aug

    16 // Why That Referral Never Came: Closing the Recognition Gap with KJ Blattenbauer of Hearsay PR

    Someone told you they'd refer you. They meant it. And then nothing happened. It probably wasn't that they forgot, or that they didn't like your work. It's that when the moment came, they couldn't finish the sentence about what you do. KJ Blattenbauer has spent nearly three decades in PR and built her entire practice around that gap. She's the founder of Hearsay PR, the author of Pitchworthy, and the host of Pitchworthy: The Podcast, and her argument is that most founders don't need more people to see them. They need fewer, clearer words attached to their name. We get into why being everywhere stopped working, why the people winning right now aren't the loudest but the easiest to explain, and the slightly uncomfortable exercise KJ gives clients to find out what the market actually says about them when they're not in the room. What you'll learn: Why that referral never showed up, and why it isn't personalThe difference between brand awareness and brand recognition, and why only one of them earns you businessHow to say who you are in one sentence and one breath, without flattening everything else you doWhy saying the same thing over and over isn't repetitive; it's the whole mechanismThe five-person exercise that tells you exactly how the market describes youChapters: 00:00 Cold open02:40 The best cake in America is from Costco04:17 Why doing everything right still isn't landing06:06 The recognition gap, defined10:10 "I want to refer her. I can't."13:45 Brand awareness vs. brand recognition15:39 When you need to change what you're known for17:15 Train people like you'd train a puppy18:54 Why repetition isn't repetitive21:34 Who wins in a recognition economy23:33 You don't have to dance on TikTok30:06 Your homework: ask five people33:09 Where to find KJ Find KJ: Hearsay PR: https://www.hearsaypr.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kjblattenbauerPitchworthy, the book and the workbook: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0G2SH7FG5 Your Next Steps: Work with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-resetConnect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan

  2. 11 Aug

    15 // Is Posting Every Day Actually Worth It? with Leanne Miller of Leanne Miller Media

    Post every day. Show up on stories. Make more reels. Jump on the trend before it's over. If that advice makes you want to close the app and never open it again, this episode is for you. Leanne Miller actually tested it. She posted every single day for 30 days, in public, and tracked what it did. Leanne is a Portland-based content coach and social media strategist who helps women in business run their own social media without letting it run their lives. Over those 30 days she grew about the same rate she grows at when she posts three or four times a week. We get into why that happened, what she'd tell you to do instead, and how to tell your content is working when the numbers stay quiet. Underneath all of it is the question she really set out to answer: can you grow your business on social media without losing yourself in the process? In this episode: What 30 days of daily posting actually did to her follower countThe three things she tested at once, including Instagram's trial reelsWhere the extra time came from, because it doesn't appear out of nowhereHer "everyday evidence" framework for spotting that your content is landingWhy one post a week you can sustain beats a 30-day sprint you can'tChapters: 00:00 Why "just post every day" feels like too much01:50 Meet Leanne Miller03:20 What she's bringing to the table04:55 From photographer to social media coach09:15 The 30-day experiment, and why she ran it in public11:35 The three things she tested12:50 Where the extra time came from23:00 The results26:55 What "quality" actually means29:05 Everyday evidence: three ways to know it's working34:55 How to design your own 30-day push41:15 Where to find Leanne Find Leanne Website: https://www.leannemillermedia.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leannemillermedia/ Her own write-up of the 30 days, Growing My Business on Instagram (Without Losing Myself in the Process):https://www.leannemillermedia.com/blog/sustainable-instagram-follower-growth-for-small-businesses Send her a DM and tell her you found her through the podcast. She's happy to chat. Next Steps: Work with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-resetConnect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan

  3. 28 Jul

    14 // When Your Business Outgrows the Systems That Built It with Amanda St Laurent, founder of Sonder North Co.

    Growth is supposed to be the fun part, so why does it so often make everything feel harder? In this episode, operations consultant Amanda St Laurent and I get into the duct tape stage of business, the point where the scrappy systems that got you here quietly start holding you back. It isn't a sign you did something wrong. It's a sign you've outgrown your setup. Amanda is the founder of Sonder North Co., a boutique operations consulting firm for founders who feel like internal friction is holding them back. Before starting it, she spent more than a decade in financial services, ending as a senior VP leading operations and strategy. She finds what's creating friction in a business and gets rid of it, so founders can step back from what they've built and lead it without carrying every decision themselves. She's exactly who you want in your corner when the thing you built starts to feel like it's outgrowing you. What you'll learn: Why the cracks feel bigger as you grow, and why that's completely normalHow to tell whether the pressure is the market shifting or you outgrowing your own setupWhy automating everything backfires (in Amanda's words, automate a mess and you just get a faster mess)How to loosen your grip on the business you built without feeling like you're losing controlThe unglamorous next step that changes everything downstream, and no, it's not a new platform Resources mentioned: Visit Sonder North Co.: https://www.sondernorth.comConnect with Amanda on LinkedInAmanda on Instagram: @sondernorthcoFreebie: The Execution Bridge, Amanda's free friction-finder scorecardWork with Amanda: The Clarity Intensive, her 90-minute session plus two weeks of support.Your next steps: Work with meConnect on Instagram or LinkedIn Make sure you subscribe to The Founder's Table wherever you listen, and share this with a founder friend who's feeling the same kind of stuck. See you next time - I'll save you a seat !

    14 // When Your Business Outgrows the Systems That Built It with Amanda St Laurent, founder of Sonder North Co.

  4. 26 May

    13 // End of an Era (Part 2): The 5-pillar check-in

    You cannot out-hustle a misalignment between your business and the buyer who actually exists today. In Part 2 of this end-of-an-era series, I'm walking you through the five things that have to be right before any funnel, automation, or content sprint deserves a minute of your attention. This is Part 2 of the End of an Era series. If you haven't listened to Episode 12 yet, start there. That's where I unpack what's actually shifted and share the real-life client example of this framework in action. In this one, I'm giving you the framework itself: the five-pillar check-in to run on your own business before you reach for another tool or tactic. Offer, buyer, positioning, message, marketing strategy all pressure-tested against who your buyer is right now, not who they were in 2022. Why "my funnel isn't converting" is almost never actually a funnel problemThe five pillars to audit before you scale any systemThe competitor most founders forget to position against (and it's not who you think)How to tell whether your offer has drifted out of step with your buyerThe honest check-in question that decides whether you keep going or course correctDon't miss: End of an Era Part 1Book a (100% no pressure) virtual coffee chat: https://mise-en-plan.moxieapp.com/public/coffee-chat-virtualWork with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-resetConnect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplan

  5. 20 May

    12 / The End of an Era: Why your marketing stopped working

    Something is shifting in online business, and adding another funnel won't fix it. The Season 2 kickoff is the conversation I have been have over and over with clients for months. The buying environment that built most of our businesses from 2020 to 2024 is over. In this episode I walk through what has actually changed about your buyer, why a systems fix is not the answer, and tell a client story that shows what to do instead. This is Part 1. Part 2 brings the framework. What you'll hear: The four real reasons your marketing stopped working (none of them are your funnel)The speaker system metaphor that explains why your systems can be perfect and still feel offWhy your biggest competition right now is the option of doing nothingA real client story about starting with the buyer instead of the productWhat is coming in Part 2Your Next Steps Work with Me: https://www.miseenplan.com/messaging-strategy-resetConnect on Social: https://www.instagram.com/miseenplanBook a free consultation: https://www.miseenplan.com/contact

    12 / The End of an Era: Why your marketing stopped working

  6. 26 Feb

    11 // The "Other" AI: How Agentic AI Frees Up Founders to Sell Smarter with Eamon Graziano

    In this episode of The Table, we sit down with Eamon Graziano of B&E Consulting to talk about the “other” AI—agentic AI—and how growth-stage founders can use it to make sales and processes cleaner, more efficient, and way more sustainable.​ If you’ve been pouring energy into using AI for copy and content while your actual bottleneck is a messy, manual sales process, this conversation will give you a much more useful way to think about where AI actually belongs in your business.​ What we cover: Why most founders are over-indexing on generative AI for content, and underusing AI where it matters most: sales workflows and operations.​ The biggest pitfalls Eamon sees when small and mid-sized businesses try to “add AI” without a real process underneath (hello, tool-hopping and chaos).​​ What agentic AI actually is and how it can qualify leads, handle repetitive follow-up, and keep your CRM updated so humans can focus on high-leverage conversations.​ Why you should treat AI like a new hire: building clear SOPs, over-communicating details, and always keeping a human off-ramp in your sales process.​ The key metrics and time studies Eamon recommends to tell if AI is truly helping your sales, not just adding more noise or cost.​ Links and resources: Connect with Eamon on LinkedIn Learn more about B&E Consulting Connect with Dani on LinkedIn Learn more about Mise en Plan If this episode sparked ideas about how AI could support your sales process (instead of just writing more content), subscribe to The Table so you don’t miss upcoming conversations on sustainable, founder-friendly growth. And if you know a founder who’s overwhelmed by AI right now, send this episode their way. See you on the next episode - I'll save you a seat!

    11 // The "Other" AI: How Agentic AI Frees Up Founders to Sell Smarter with Eamon Graziano

  7. 20 Jan

    10 // Innovation as a Daily Practice: How to Focus, Adapt, and Stay Ahead with Jolly Pradhan

    Innovation isn’t just for billion-dollar tech teams in glass towers. It’s also for the solopreneur at her kitchen table, the mid-sized company trying to keep up, and the human behind the business figuring out what’s next. In this episode of The Table, Dani and innovation strategist Jolly Pradhan dig into how big-company innovation principles translate directly into the everyday decisions you make in your business and your life, so you can keep adapting without burning out.​ In this episode, we get into: What innovation really is (beyond the jargon) and why even tiny shifts in your offers, operations, or habits count.​ How big tech thinks about R&D—and how to scale that thinking down for small businesses and solopreneurs.​ The 90/10 reality of innovation: most experiments won’t “hit,” and why that small percentage that does can change everything.​ Why “solutionizing” too fast wastes time, money, and emotional energy, whether you’re a global company or a team of one.​ Using real customer voice to guide your next move instead of guessing what people want.​ How to apply innovation thinking to your own career, burnout, and personal pivots—not just your products.​ A grounded definition of innovation you can actually apply to your current season, regardless of business size.​ Simple ways to spot where a small, strategic change could unlock more ease or effectiveness in your work and life.​ Permission to innovate in manageable steps, adapt as you go, and still feel like you’re moving forward.​ Meet our guest Jolly Pradhan is the founder of End-to-End Innovation Consulting and has spent 15+ years guiding complex tech and AI products from idea to launch as a systems engineer and product leader. She specializes in connecting dots across teams and timelines to bring bold, customer-centered solutions to life in fast-changing markets.​ Links & Resources Connect with Jolly on LinkedIn to learn more about her work and innovation insights.​ Explore Dani’s work at Mise en Plan if you’re ready to refine your messaging, offers, and strategy for your next innovation.​ Hit follow/subscribe so you never miss The Table. I'll save you a seat!

    10 // Innovation as a Daily Practice: How to Focus, Adapt, and Stay Ahead with Jolly Pradhan

  8. 13 Jan

    9 // 2026 Small Business Predictions: Marketing, AI, and What’s Changing This Year

    2026 already feels…weird. AI is everywhere, the economy and politics are shaky, social media feels like a slot machine, and your customers are more cautious and more skeptical than ever.​​ In this solo episode of The Table, marketing strategist and small business owner Dani Henneberger shares 9 shifts she’s watching this year and what they actually mean if you’re a small, thoughtful business that still wants to feel human while you grow.​​ You’ll hear about: How to use AI as support without outsourcing your voice Why social is no longer your whole strategy (and what to focus on instead) The rising importance of relationships, referrals, and real community How shifting economics, politics, and consumer priorities should shape your offers Why this messy moment might actually be the start of a small business renaissance If you’ve been feeling the wobble but also sensing there’s opportunity in all of this, this one’s for you.​​ Work with Dani:Want help making sense of this for your own business? Dani’s VIP Days are designed for seasoned founders who need clearer positioning, aligned messaging, and a marketing plan that doesn’t feel like a second job.​​ Learn more about VIP Days Join The Table Live (small-group founder dinners): [link] Share your own 2026 predictions or questions: DM Dani on Instagram or LinkedIn

    9 // 2026 Small Business Predictions: Marketing, AI, and What’s Changing This Year
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Pull up a chair for the conversations you'd actually want to have at a dinner party full of founders: marketing, strategy, and building a business that works in your real life. Host Dani Henneberger, marketing advisor and founder of Mise en Plan, helps founders think like their customers, not just about them. At The Table, we share trade secrets, simple frameworks, and a fresh perspective to help you find clarity and take action. Along the way, you'll hear from guest experts with candid insights and honest advice, so you can continue to grow with purpose and in a way that feels right to you.

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