The Art of Positioning

Beatrice Gutknecht
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

What if you could take your business and shake up how it's seen, inside-out to go from plateau to pop star? Beatrice Gutknecht (Brand Positioning Badass - Badassery by B), is on a mission to help you do that while avoiding dropping big bucks on harmful rebrands. The Art of Positioning podcast teaches you how to rewire operations around new positioning. The goal? Ready to implement tips, aka actionable ideas, shared by Beatrice and expert guests. Rebrands, fluffy words, and pictures can take a walk. Check your brand health today: www.badasserybyb.com/brand-health-audit Let’s freakin’ go!

  1. The $3M Wall | Dave Marciniak

    MAY 12

    The $3M Wall | Dave Marciniak

    Laid off in the middle of the 2008 crash with a day’s notice and no savings cushion, Dave Marciniak did the one thing he could not afford to do: he started again. That decision led him into landscaping, where he built a reputation for unusual work, the kind of projects that don’t just fill a garden, they change what people think is possible. But after 20 years, he hit the part of business no one likes to talk about: the point where being good at everything starts to work against you. So he shut Revolutionary Gardens down completely and started fresh with Landscape Design Lab, a fractional design advisory for landscapers who are tired of carrying the whole business on their backs. In this episode, Dave explains: How he shifted his messaging toward clients who actually value designWhy so many landscape firms hit the same brutal wall around $3 million to $4 millionHow one client grew from $20K–$40K jobs to $200K–$400K projects after repositioning higher This one is for the owners who know they’ve outgrown the business they built, but haven’t figured out how to stop being trapped inside it. - Audit your brand performance: https://www.badasserybyb.com/brand-health-audit - 02:43 Laid Off to Launch 04:42 Design Rules and Weird Projects 07:07 Evolving Positioning and Ideal Clients 09:36 Scaling Past the Wall 19:15 Client Growth Case Study 22:14 Letting Go to Scale 28:53 Positioning Mistakes and Pipeline 33:39 Three Upmarket Moves - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning to $10M⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Nicole Downer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning Without Losing Customers ⁠⁠⁠⁠with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton- Reach out to guest speaker Dave Marciniak: LinkedIn | Instagram | Website Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick⁠

    44 min
  2. Acquisitions Without Chaos | Wendy Murphy

    APR 28

    Acquisitions Without Chaos | Wendy Murphy

    Wendy Murphy, CEO of second‑generation Timber Tech Truss (started by her parents in 1980), shares what growth really looks like when you go from family-run to private equity-backed, and then acquire two businesses in 18 months. She shares why Timber Tech sold to align on a new direction, how the bolt‑on strategy led to buying a stair company and a prefab wall/framing company, and why “alignment” beats spreadsheets when picking acquisition targets. You’ll hear the unsexy stuff that makes or breaks integration: a 90‑day pause to build trust, audits (HR, safety, engagement), change management as an emotional process, ERP assumptions that don’t scale, and why messaging/brand continuity can lag behind ops—without confusing customers. - Audit your brand performance: https://www.badasserybyb.com/brand-health-audit - 04:18 Selling to Private Equity 08:09 Surprises in Due Diligence 17:28 Guiding Principles That Scale 22:37 90 Day Integration Playbook 34:17 Systems and Org Chart Lessons 41:05 Shiny Object Discipline 52:30 Conduct Versus Performance 56:12 KPIs and Development Hours 01:00:06 M&A Advice for Sellers 01:05:30 Earnouts And Deal Reality - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning to $10M⁠⁠⁠ with Nicole Downer⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠⁠⁠Repositioning Without Losing Customers ⁠⁠⁠with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton- Reach out to guest speaker Wendy Murphy: ⁠⁠Wendy on LinkedIn⁠ | ⁠Timber Tech Group on LinkedIn | ⁠Timber Tech Truss Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    1h 16m
  3. The Anti-Traditional Agency Pivot | Taylor Wilson

    12/09/2025

    The Anti-Traditional Agency Pivot | Taylor Wilson

    Taylor Wilson ran a traditional agency. Hourly rates. Custom proposals. It wasn't scalable. She could only sell so much of herself. Leadership buy-in took forever. Budgets got cut. The model was breaking. So she repositioned Creative Shizzle to work like Netflix. Monthly subscription. Get what you need. No massive proposals. No six-figure commitments required. The transition wasn't smooth. Revenue forecasting was a nightmare. She invested in marketing way too late. She had to learn to say no to business that didn't fit. But now? She's scaling faster, landing clients easier, and serving lean marketing teams who need full creative support without the agency overhead. This one is perfect for business owners who are thinking about their operational models in a rapidly changing market. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 04:05 Launching Creative Shizzle and Initial Challenges 06:32 Scaling and Rebranding to Creative Shizzle 15:56 Communicating the Change to Clients 21:42 Aligning Sales Processes with New Positioning 26:05 Market Response and Unexpected Challenges 32:55 Inbound vs. Outbound Sales Strategies 40:06 Launching a Creative Platform 51:25 The Future of Design Services - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning to $10M⁠⁠ with Nicole Downer⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠⁠Repositioning Without Losing Customers ⁠⁠with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton- Reach out to guest speaker | Taylor Wilson: ⁠Taylor on LinkedIn | Taylor on Instagram | Creative Shizzle on Instagram | Creative Shizzle on LinkedIn  Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    1 hr
  4. Your Employees Won't Post for You | T. Tara Turk-Haynes & Cassandra Babilya

    11/25/2025

    Your Employees Won't Post for You | T. Tara Turk-Haynes & Cassandra Babilya

    Chick-fil-A had a 3M-follower TikTok goldmine. They told her to stop posting. Merriam Webb was showing staff meals, building massive organic reach. Corporate shut it down. She left and got a Shake Shack deal instead. That's what happens when you don't understand the difference between employee advocacy and forcing your team to sound like corporate robots. Internal comms leader Cassandra Babilya (ex-CIA analyst turned culture expert) and T. Tara Turk-Haynes (VP of talent acquisition and DEI) break down why most employee advocacy programs fail. Your team shares mixed messages because you're asking them to post instead of creating conditions where they want to. They cover how to build real advocacy, empower employees to share authentic experiences, and get your team aligned on your message. For anyone who wants their team to actually promote the business without it feeling forced. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 02:41 Genuine Employee Advocacy vs. Corporate Posts 03:44 Creating a Culture of Authenticity and Trust 17:19 Recognizing and Incentivizing Employee Contributions 35:30 Hiring for Creativity and Brand Ambassadorship 39:59 New Trends in Workplace Culture 42:08 Internal Comms in Business Success 45:59 Managing Risks of Employee Advocacy 50:49 Measuring the Impact of Employee Advocacy 58:09 Challenges and Strategies for Small Businesses - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠⁠⁠Repositioning to $10M⁠ with Nicole Downer⁠⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠Repositioning Without Losing Customers ⁠with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton⁠⁠⁠ - Reach out to guest speaker | T. Tara Turk-Haynes: LinkedIn | Instagram | TikTok Cassandra Babilya: Website | LinkedIn | Instagram Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    1h 15m
  5. Repositioning to $10M | Nicole Downer

    11/11/2025

    Repositioning to $10M | Nicole Downer

    At $1.2M, everything stopped working. Landscape company Downer Brothers could add more crews, more equipment, and watch revenue grow. Until they couldn't. Profit tanked. Hours piled up. Same money. Nicole Downer had to reposition her entire business to break through to $10M. Generalists became specialists. Gut-feel decisions became data-driven. And the hardest part? Helping longtime team members let go of roles that defined them so they could become experts at one thing. She calls it "ghost org charting" - imagining what the company looks like at $10M, then working backward to reposition today. It forces hard conversations. Especially with people you care about. This is what repositioning for growth actually costs. Not just new messaging. Your entire operation and your people have to transform alongside the business. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 02:22 Navigating Business Growth 05:23 Specialization vs. Generalization 10:11 Implementing Systems for Scaling 22:43 Avoiding Shiny Object Syndrome 28:16 Supporting Teams and Building Relationships 34:03 Adapting to Market Trends 42:34 Balancing Technology and Human Connection 51:03 Valuing Employees and Long-Term Commitment - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria SeydelRepositioning Without Losing Customers with Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton⁠⁠The Crisis Management Playbook⁠⁠ with Oliver Aust and Gordon Firemark⁠ - Reach out to guest speaker | Nicole Downer: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    57 min
  6. Repositioning Without Losing Customers | Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton

    10/28/2025

    Repositioning Without Losing Customers | Amy Heidersbach & Melissa Eaton

    Your brand needs to evolve. But what if you lose the customers who got you here? Customer experience leader Melissa Eaton and five-time CMO Amy Heidersbach have both guided businesses through repositioning without alienating loyal customers. Amy led marketing at PayPal and Visa, scaling a business unit to $1.2 billion. Melissa solves complex business problems by seeing patterns others miss. Most companies treat repositioning like a marketing project. New logo, new tagline, done. But your marketing team can't fix what's broken in operations. Your sales team can't sell a story your product team hasn't bought into. This episode covers: When to reposition (and when to ignore the noise)Why product, operations, finance, and HR need to be at the tableBrand continuity vs. consistency (Amy's controversial take)Using employees and customers to carry your messageMeasuring success without optimizing the wrong metrics This one is perfect for business owners ready to evolve without losing what's working. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 06:06 Repositioning Without Losing Customers 10:35 Common Mistakes in Rebranding 32:02 Engaging Customers in the Rebranding Process 43:25 Understanding Core Customers and Personas 46:59 Localized Marketing Strategies Across Borders 54:55 Measuring Success in Repositioning Efforts 59:26 How Digital Transformation affects Brands 01:04:34 Recognizing and Addressing Repositioning Failures 01:10:29 The Limits of Branding in Solving Business Issues - 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠Your Business Might Be Unsellable⁠ with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠⁠⁠AI, Automation and Strategy⁠⁠⁠ with Leland Best and Chris Troka⁠The Crisis Management Playbook⁠ with Oliver Aust and Gordon Firemark⁠⁠⁠⁠What’s your position?⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Beatrice and Elijah- Reach out to guest speakers:Amy Heidersbach: LinkedIn Melissa Eaton:LinkedIn | We Fixed It You're Welcome Podcast Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    1h 24m
  7. Unclench Your Business Butt Cheeks | Gloria Chou

    10/14/2025

    Unclench Your Business Butt Cheeks | Gloria Chou

    When your team tells different stories about your business, customers notice. PR strategist Gloria Chou had a team of seven plus a CMO who couldn't grow her account because everyone was following marketing templates instead of sharing what the business actually stood for. After letting go of the CMO and taking back control, Gloria discovered the difference between values-based messaging and template marketing. Her assistant went from wanting to quit to being fully engaged. Her business became three times more profitable. This episode covers: - Aligning teams around mission instead of just metrics - Why your team needs to know what you reject, not just what you value - Building psychological safety that attracts ideal customers - Moving from "clenched butt cheeks" marketing to authentic positioning - Creating content that stands for something beyond industry best practices Hosted by Beatrice Gutknecht with PR strategist Gloria Chou, founder of Gloria Chou PR and host of Small Business PR podcast. For business owners whose teams are telling different versions of their story. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 02:21 Business Evolution and the Impact of AI 04:21 Personalized Solutions and Changing Consumer Behavior 04:55 Values and Psychological Resonance in Marketing 15:48 Navigating Business Challenges and Personal Growth 20:12 Simplifying PR for Accessibility 22:08 Values-Driven Hiring 24:13 Personal Growth and Business Evolution 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam VarnerYour Business Might Be Unsellable with Allie Beckmann and Alexandria Seydel⁠⁠AI, Automation and Strategy⁠⁠ with Leland Best and Chris TrokaThe Crisis Management Playbook with Oliver Aust and Gordon Firemark⁠⁠⁠What’s your position?⁠⁠⁠ with Beatrice and Elijah Reach out to guest speaker: Gloria Chou: ⁠Instagram | Gloria Chou PR - Masterclass Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    38 min
  8. Why Your Business Might Be Unsellable | Alexandria Seydel & Allie Beckmann

    09/30/2025

    Why Your Business Might Be Unsellable | Alexandria Seydel & Allie Beckmann

    Most business owners think they'll just clean things up when they're ready to sell. Well, as great as that would be, it doesn’t work that way. In this episode of The Art of Positioning, M&A attorney Alexandria Seydel and financial advisor Allie Beckmann join Beatrice to break down why 75% of businesses that go to market never actually sell. And it's not market conditions, it's deal killers hiding in plain sight. We cover: Reducing owner dependence.Building a cohesive exit strategyThe deal killer categories making buyers walk away.How business owners can increase their market value.The gaps you can't see that cost millions in future value. Tune in to get a grip on positioning your business as the apple in the eyes of investors and customers alike. - Find gaps in your brand health and performance in 5 minutes with ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Brand Health Audit⁠⁠⁠⁠. - 04:52 Increasing Market Value: Key Considerations 06:48 Brand Valuation and Rebranding Pitfalls 08:03 Exit Readiness and Strategic Planning 14:17 Customer Concentration and Operational Systems 15:19 Personal and Business Financial Planning 18:06 Mindset and Emotional Preparation for Exit 31:33 Nitty-Gritty Actions for a Successful Exit 39:51 Optimizing Business Operations 43:12 Legal and Financial Deal Killers 45:38 Owner Dependence and Succession Planning 50:23 Incentivizing Key Employees 53:53 Brand Strength and Reputation 01:03:32 Attracting Investors and Buyers 5 episodes to binge on: ⁠⁠⁠The no b******t strategy⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Alex Smith⁠⁠⁠Brand strategy in action⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Cam Varner⁠⁠AI, Automation and Strategy⁠⁠ with Leland Best and Chris Troka⁠⁠⁠Unmasking strategy⁠⁠ with Beatrice and Elijah ⁠⁠⁠What’s your position?⁠⁠⁠ with Beatrice and Elijah Reach out to guest speakers: Alexandria Seydel: LinkedIn Allie Beckmann: LinkedIn | Get Liberated Financial Disclaimer: All content is for education and information purposes only. It is not intended to provide any tax or legal advice or provide the basis for any financial decisions. Nor is it intended to be a projection of current or future performance or indication of future results. Advisory services are offered by Liberated Financial, an Investment Advisor in the State of Colorado and other jurisdictions in which it may conduct business. Follow Beatrice Gutknecht: ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠Your Podcast Sidekick

    1h 16m
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About

What if you could take your business and shake up how it's seen, inside-out to go from plateau to pop star? Beatrice Gutknecht (Brand Positioning Badass - Badassery by B), is on a mission to help you do that while avoiding dropping big bucks on harmful rebrands. The Art of Positioning podcast teaches you how to rewire operations around new positioning. The goal? Ready to implement tips, aka actionable ideas, shared by Beatrice and expert guests. Rebrands, fluffy words, and pictures can take a walk. Check your brand health today: www.badasserybyb.com/brand-health-audit Let’s freakin’ go!

Information

  • Creator
    Beatrice Gutknecht
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    57
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Beatrice Gutknecht
  • Show Website
    The Art of Positioning