Marketing Systems for Success

Helen Dickman

Marketing Systems for Success: Your new home for marketing inspiration and support. Hi, I’m Helen! I help female business owners to show up and be seen online so that they can create a profitable business without having to sacrifice all of their free time.

  1. 5h ago

    EP.129 Why I don't offer pure coaching anymore

    Helen uses this episode of the Marketing Systems for Success podcast to share a personal reflection on how her work has evolved and why she no longer offers pure coaching. She explains that many of her clients are feeling the familiar autumn shift, that back to school energy that brings motivation, new ideas, and sometimes overwhelm. With change in the air, she wanted to talk honestly about the changes she has made in her own business and why they happened. She describes how coaching became hugely popular after 2020, with the word appearing everywhere and often used in very different ways. She talks about her own experience as both a coach and a client, including the realisation that coaching can be a luxury and that she had invested thousands over the years. One moment that stayed with her was being in a coaching programme that helped her see she was the bottleneck in her business. She needed to outsource, but the cost of the coaching itself made it harder to take that next step. She noticed similar patterns with clients who were stuck, overwhelmed, or struggling with the mindset side of marketing. Helen goes on to explain that she was never fully aligned with the traditional coaching model. She could do it, but it did not feel natural to stay neutral and hold back her ideas. She preferred mentoring, sharing experiences, and helping clients make decisions. Over time, her sessions shifted into a blend of conversation and practical support. She found herself logging into clients’ systems, fixing things, setting up automations, and getting tasks done while talking through their challenges. It became clear that this hands-on approach was where she could make the biggest difference. This led her to move away from pure coaching and towards a done for you model that still includes supportive conversations. She talks about how clients get better results when they are willing to hand over tasks to her and the team, freeing up their time and reducing stress. She also shares that therapy played a huge role in her own growth over the past eighteen months. It gave her the safe space she needed and helped her understand that coaching was no longer the right fit for her personally. Helen encourages listeners to trust their own niggles and allow their business to evolve. Change does not have to be dramatic. It often happens slowly, and it is normal for something that once worked to stop feeling right. She also offers a gentle reminder to make changes thoughtfully, especially when clients are already mid programme, and to consider the customer experience throughout. She closes by explaining how her current model blends mentoring, coaching style conversations, and practical implementation. Clients get space to think and plan, but they also see real progress between sessions because the work is being done. Helpful Links: Connect with Helen on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman/ Follow Lighthouse Marketing Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthousemarketingclub/ FREE course "5 Steps to Improve Your Marketing and Make More Sales!": https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/five-steps Join Lighthouse Marketing Club: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/lighthouse-marketing-club Book a call with Helen: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/contact

  2. 5d ago

    EP 128. Coping with losing followers (and why it's not a bad thing)

    Helen opens this episode of the Marketing Systems for Success podcast by exploring how to cope with losing followers and seeing unsubscribes. She explains that these shifts often happen naturally, especially in seasonal industries like education once exam periods end, or when a business changes its messaging, services, or niche. She encourages listeners not to fixate on vanity metrics or take unsubscribes personally. Helen shares why it is helpful to avoid checking exactly who unsubscribed and reminds listeners that email lists often see around a one percent unsubscribe rate per send. She notes that higher rates can affect deliverability, which is why consistent list building and steady marketing matter far more than the occasional drop in numbers. Throughout the episode, Helen focuses on detaching personal worth from follower counts and paying attention to meaningful metrics instead. She highlights engagement, click through rates, replies, comments, shares, and direct messages as indicators of genuine connection. She also talks about the importance of attracting the right audience and prioritising conversions into clients and sales. Helen frames follower loss as a normal part of business growth and a sign that your audience is evolving. Her message is to stay consistent, keep building, and trust that the people who remain are the ones who are truly aligned with your work. Helpful Links: Connect with Helen on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman/ Follow Lighthouse Marketing Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthousemarketingclub/ FREE course "5 Steps to Improve Your Marketing and Make More Sales!": https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/five-steps Join Lighthouse Marketing Club: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/lighthouse-marketing-club Book a call with Helen: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/contact

  3. Sep 23

    EP 127. Growing a Business… Without Actually Marketing

    Helen opens this episode of the Marketing Systems for Success podcast by unpacking the clickbait idea of growing a business 'without marketing.' She explains that what she really means is the long-term, compounding impact of earlier marketing work. Even though she did very little public marketing for almost two years during a period of major personal change, her business continued to grow because of the groundwork she had already put in place. Strong website foundations, past content, and long-standing relationships kept her visible, including a recent lead who found her through an AI recommendation. She talks about launching Blue Palm Marketing, choosing steady and intentional growth, and building a small team. Helen highlights how powerful word of mouth and networking can be, especially when it happens face to face, while also acknowledging that these channels are harder to control. Throughout the episode, she encourages listeners to think beyond social media and to build consistent behind-the-scenes systems that support their business even during quieter seasons. She explains how strategy should shift depending on the stage of the business and why investing in support can make a significant difference. Helen closes by inviting listeners to connect with her on LinkedIn or Instagram and to keep exploring marketing in a way that feels sustainable and aligned with their goals. Helpful Links: Connect with Helen on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman/ Follow Lighthouse Marketing Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthousemarketingclub/ FREE course "5 Steps to Improve Your Marketing and Make More Sales!": https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/five-steps Join Lighthouse Marketing Club: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/lighthouse-marketing-club Book a call with Helen: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/contact

  4. Sep 16

    EP 126. Restarting Instagram After 18 Months

    Helen opens the Marketing Systems for Success podcast by talking about how to restart Instagram, or any platform, after a long break. She reflects on the pressure many business owners feel to be everywhere online and explains why a simple funnel approach is far more sustainable. Her advice is to build your marketing in layers over time and to strip things back to one clear focus when life becomes busy. She shares her own experience of stepping away from Instagram for eighteen months while she concentrated on LinkedIn during a period of major personal change. When she was ready to return, she brought in a marketing assistant to help with planning and scheduling. That support created accountability and helped her rebuild confidence through consistent action. Helen also talks about the imperfect content she posted in those early weeks. There were technical mistakes and even a disrupted recording, yet the posts still generated engagement, laughter, and new enquiries within days. Her message is that progress matters more than perfection. She encourages listeners to get support, involve a community for encouragement, let go of the need to get everything right, and set clear goals such as enquiries and sign ups. She also reminds listeners to keep expectations realistic and to allow their confidence to grow through doing the work. Helpful Links: Connect with Helen on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman/ Follow Lighthouse Marketing Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthousemarketingclub/ FREE course "5 Steps to Improve Your Marketing and Make More Sales!": https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/five-steps Join Lighthouse Marketing Club: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/lighthouse-marketing-club Book a call with Helen: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/contact

  5. Sep 9

    EP 125. Returning to the Podcast

    Helen returns to the Marketing Systems for Success podcast after an unexpectedly long break. She shares what has been happening behind the scenes. Her work trips to New Zealand and the United States went smoothly, but things changed in San Francisco when she became seriously ill with influenza B. Doctors advised her not to fly, so she had to extend her stay, move hotels, and then spend several weeks recovering once she finally made it home. Now fully back on her feet, Helen talks about recommitting to the podcast and shaping it into a practical, genuinely helpful resource. While searching for smaller niche shows herself, she realised how crowded the podcast space has become and how valuable it is to have grounded, straightforward marketing conversations. That realisation inspired her to return with fresh energy. Helen also introduces her updated brand structure and two new trademarks. Blue Palm Marketing is now her dedicated marketing agency, offering done for you marketing support along with coaching, content and copywriting, and scheduling. Lighthouse Marketing Club continues as a close knit community capped at fifty members, with Monday strategy calls, Thursday accountability sessions, and monthly content packs filled with templates. She outlines what listeners can expect in upcoming episodes. Topics will include marketing channels, outsourcing, coaching, and Meta ads. There will be short ten minute episodes every Wednesday and her Sunday newsletter is returning as well. Helpful Links: Connect with Helen on LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman/ Follow Lighthouse Marketing Club on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lighthousemarketingclub/ FREE course "5 Steps to Improve Your Marketing and Make More Sales!": https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/five-steps Join Lighthouse Marketing Club: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/lighthouse-marketing-club Book a call with Helen: https://www.bluepalmmarketing.com/contact

  6. Feb 25

    EP124: How I've Prepared for a Month Off

    In this episode of the Marketing System for Success podcast, Helen shares a behind-the-scenes look at how she’s prepared to step away from her business for a month while travelling to New Zealand and America.   She explains how she’s built recurring revenue streams (including her community and retainer-style done-for-you work) to avoid feast-or-famine cycles, and how she’s intentionally developed a client base that supports her values and boundaries.   Helen discusses the mindset wobbles she faced - control, ego, and fears about clients leaving - and how she’s practiced letting go through test runs like a previous trip to Canada.   She outlines the logistics: pausing the podcast while she’s away, scheduling some marketing in advance, documenting processes with SOPs, and delegating community sessions to clients who will run masterclasses and accountability calls - structured as fair value swaps. Her VA team will handle ongoing admin and client support, with Helen checking in periodically across time zones.   She’ll return in early April with a follow-up report, and notes that the community will reopen in April with limited spaces and done-for-you availability starting mid to late April.   00:34 Episode Setup and Trip Plan   03:09 Building Recurring Revenue   06:07 Clients Values and Flexibility   08:12 Mindset Wobbles and Control   10:21 Systems and SOPs to Delegate   12:20 Membership Coverage While Away   16:42 Switching Off and Staying Visible   21:14 Wrap Up and How to Work Together     Links:    Done For You Marketing: https://www.helendickmancoaching.com/dfy   Join the Community: https://www.helendickmancoaching.com/community   Contact Helen: https://www.helendickmancoaching.com/contact   Connect with Helen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-dickman

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Marketing Systems for Success: Your new home for marketing inspiration and support. Hi, I’m Helen! I help female business owners to show up and be seen online so that they can create a profitable business without having to sacrifice all of their free time.