Marketing Sucks

Amanda Casinha-Ginther
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  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Marketing Sucks is the podcast for business owners who are looking for practical, fun, and strategic ways to get noticed online, and don’t want to sit through 30 minutes of filler to get to the good stuff. Each week, Grind Social Media + Co founder Amanda Casinha sits down with the industry’s most interesting and unconventional ad experts, funnel developers, content creators, and changemakers to explore their off-the-beaten-path strategies and experiences in the world of marketing and business — and dig into real stories of failures, strategies, and how they got their jaw-dropping results.

  1. 4D AGO

    Boundaries, Burnout, and the Leadership No One Talks About with Natacha Pennycooke

    In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Amanda sits down with three-time award-winning psychotherapist Natacha Pennycooke for a real, unfiltered conversation about boundaries. They dive into what is actually happening psychologically when we say yes but mean no, why high-achieving women overfill their plates, and how guilt quietly drives burnout in both motherhood and entrepreneurship From attachment styles and leadership patterns to money conversations and undercharging, this episode connects the dots between people-pleasing, resentment, team culture, and profit. If you have ever struggled to say no, charged less than you should, or wondered why your team feels tense or disengaged, this conversation will challenge you to look inward first. Because boundaries are not just personal. They shape your business. What You’ll Learn ✔ What is happening psychologically when you say yes but mean no ✔ The difference between being nice and being kind ✔ How people-pleasing develops as a survival tool ✔ Why high-achieving women overfill their plates and burn out ✔ How attachment styles show up in leadership ✔ Why micromanagement signals a lack of trust ✔ How weak boundaries affect team culture and retention ✔ Why female founders struggle with charging their worth Guest bio: Natacha Pennycooke is a leader in workplace mental health, equity education, and psychological safety, a Mindset Coach, and an award-winning psychotherapist. With over 13 years of experience, she is CEO of Natacha Pennycooke Psychotherapy, a flourishing anti-oppressive, healing-focused, and trauma-informed private group practice. Links mentioned:‌ ‌ Natacha Pennycooke natachapennycooke.com  Instagram: @natachapennycooke.therapy, @natachapennycooke.ceo Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    47 min

  2. MAR 10

    The Truth About Showing Up 100 Times

    This week on Marketing Sucks, nothing actually sucks. Amanda and Phil are celebrating 100 episodes and instead of doing a polished recap, they sit down and talk honestly about what it really took to get here. From awkward mic setups and last-minute recordings to moments of wanting to quit entirely, this episode pulls back the curtain on what building something long-term actually feels like. It is messy. It is inconsistent. It is boring before it is exciting. And it is never perfect. Amanda shares the biggest lessons she has learned from showing up 100 times, including why clarity matters more than being the smartest person in the room, why reputation beats aesthetics, why most people quit right before momentum hits, and why relationships have driven every major opportunity in their business. They also get into self-doubt, resilience, long-form content, and the reality that sometimes you hit record and think, “What was that?” and publish it anyway. If you are building a business, a brand, or anything that requires consistency, this episode will remind you that the work is not glamorous. But it is worth it. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why clarity beats talent in business and communication ✔ Why distribution matters more than perfection ✔ Why your brand is your reputation, not your visuals ✔ Why most people quit before momentum hits ✔ How consistency feels boring until it works ✔ Why every major opportunity comes from relationships Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    36 min

  3. MAR 3

    Big Brands Are Playing a Different Game and Copying Them Is Why You’re Stuck

    In this solo episode of Marketing Sucks, Amanda breaks down one of the most common reasons small and mid-sized businesses stay stuck: copying big brand marketing. Amanda explains why brands like Nike, McDonald’s, and Apple are playing a completely different game, one built on decades of brand equity, cultural dominance, and massive budgets, and why trying to replicate their strategies too early leads to vague messaging, soft calls to action, and stalled revenue. This episode is a reality check for entrepreneurs caught in comparison mode. Amanda walks through how big brands actually win, why their strategies don’t translate to smaller businesses, and what founders should be doing instead if they want traction, sales, and momentum right now. If you’ve ever thought, “If I just marketed like them, I’d finally break through,” this episode explains why that mindset is holding you back and how to shift it. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why big brands don’t need to convert the way you do ✔ How cultural dominance replaces urgency for large companies ✔ Why copying Nike, Apple, or McDonald’s stalls small businesses ✔ The danger of vague messaging and soft CTAs ✔ Why awareness without a next step is not strategy ✔ How brand equity changes the rules of marketing ✔ Why aggressive clarity matters more than cinematic branding ✔ How faster asks lead to faster revenue ✔ Why selling is about connection, not pressure ✔ How to reframe sales as problem-solving ✔ The role confidence plays in marketing and conversion ✔ How to use big brands as inspiration without copying ✔ A practical exercise to reverse-engineer strategy that actually fits your business Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    15 min

  4. FEB 24

    The Marketing Advice That Sounds Smart but Quietly Kills Sales

    In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Amanda Casinha and Phil Ginther dismantle some of the most repeated marketing advice that sounds smart but quietly kills revenue. They break down three of the biggest offenders: “educate, don’t sell,” “build trust before asking for money,” and “just give value,” and explain why these one-liners work for massive brands but actively sabotage small and mid-sized businesses. Using real-world examples from brands like HubSpot and Skims, Amanda and Phil unpack the difference between long-term brand trust and cash-flow reality, why education without selling creates non-buying audiences, and how clarity, directness, and confidence drive conversions far more effectively than vague value-based content. If you’ve been posting consistently, “adding value,” and still wondering where the sales are, this episode explains exactly why. What You’ll Learn: ✔ Why “educate, don’t sell” is incomplete advice ✔ How value-only content creates non-buyers ✔ The difference between brand trust and revenue generation ✔ Why big brands can afford long sales cycles and you can’t ✔ How Skims sells without over-educating ✔ Why selling from day one is not unethical ✔ How education should support your offer, not replace it ✔ What actually builds trust with modern audiences ✔ Why vague CTAs kill conversions ✔ How to sell without sounding salesy ✔ The fastest way to find leaks in your content and funnels ✔ What to audit if your engagement is high but sales are low Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    25 min

  5. FEB 17

    The Algorithm Isn’t the Problem and Adam Mosseri’s Recent Instagram Updates

    In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Amanda Casinha and Phil Ginther tackle one of the biggest excuses in marketing right now: blaming the algorithm. Instead of feeding into outdated myths about reach and suppression, they break down what’s actually happening on Instagram and why most content struggles have nothing to do with the algorithm and everything to do with voice, originality, and how the platform is meant to be used today. Drawing directly from recent updates shared by Instagram’s head, this episode explains why shares and private DMs now matter more than likes, why polished content is losing ground to raw authenticity, and why boring, copy-paste content is being ignored by both people and platforms. If you’re stuck at low views, minimal engagement, or blaming the algorithm for stagnant growth, this episode reframes the problem and gives you a clear, practical way forward. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why the algorithm isn’t the problem, your content is ✔ What Instagram is actually prioritizing right now ✔ Why shares and DMs matter more than views and likes ✔ How private sharing fuels reach faster than public engagement ✔ The difference between content that performs and content that gets ignored ✔ Why raw, unpolished content is outperforming “aesthetic” posts ✔ How AI is changing what originality looks like online ✔ Why originality beats volume in 2026 ✔ How to read your own analytics properly ✔ Why saves and shares are more valuable than high view counts ✔ How to test content without chasing vanity metrics ✔ The exact mistakes keeping brands stuck in low reach cycles Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    20 min

  6. FEB 10

    What Today’s Best Marketing Campaigns Get Right

    In this episode of Marketing Sucks, Amanda Casinha and Phil Ginther flip the script. Instead of tearing apart bad marketing, they break down three major brands that are actually getting it right right now and explain why their campaigns are working in today’s attention economy. From unhinged humour and cultural relevance to emotional storytelling and radical honesty, this episode explores what modern brands are doing differently and how smaller businesses can apply the same thinking without copying tactics blindly. Featuring real-world examples from Duolingo, Nike, and Ryanair, this conversation is part marketing breakdown, part cultural commentary, and part call-out of boring, safe, copy-paste content that blends into the void. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why speed beats polish in modern marketing ✔ How cultural relevance drives engagement more than perfection ✔ Why brands win when they stop acting like brands ✔ How Duolingo turned chaos into a content strategy ✔ Why Nike shifted away from product-first messaging ✔ How emotional storytelling builds trust at scale ✔ Why Ryanair’s radical honesty actually works ✔ The danger of copying viral formats without a voice ✔ How comment sections can become content engines ✔ Why consistency of tone matters more than aesthetics ✔ How to audit your own marketing for alignment ✔ What most businesses are doing that’s killing originality Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    33 min

  7. FEB 3

    Funnel Stages Explained: Why Your Marketing Isn’t Converting

    In this final episode of a four-part Marketing Sucks series, Amanda Casinha and Phil Ginther break down one of the most misunderstood reasons marketing fails: not understanding funnel stages. From awkward couch setups to brutally honest real-world examples, this episode strips away the fluff around funnels and explains what they actually are, how people misuse them, and why jumping straight to “buy now” is killing conversions. Amanda and Phil walk through the four core funnel stages, the common mistakes businesses make at each one, and how misreading timing, trust, and objections leads to wasted effort and lost sales. If you’ve ever asked, “Why isn’t my marketing working?” this episode answers that question with clarity, humour, and very practical takeaways. What You’ll Learn ✔ The four true stages of a funnel and what each stage’s job really is ✔ Why most businesses jump straight from awareness to selling and fail ✔ The difference between cold, warm, and hot leads (and why it matters) ✔ The most common barriers stopping people from buying ✔ How fear, trust, timing, and price impact conversion ✔ Why over-educating at the wrong moment can actually kill sales ✔ How misreading cues online and in real life leads to lost opportunities ✔ Why treating people like numbers destroys trust instantly ✔ How different buyer types need different messaging at the same time ✔ Why random posting strategies rarely produce results ✔ How data, analytics, and timing drive effective funnels ✔ The questions you should ask before creating any piece of content Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    25 min

  8. JAN 27

    How to Build a Simple Marketing Campaign That Works

    Most businesses say they’re running campaigns. Very few actually are. In Part 3 of this January series, Amanda and Phil break down what a real marketing campaign is, what it is not, and why so many businesses are unknowingly sabotaging their results by overcomplicating everything. This episode introduces a deceptively simple rule that drives real conversions and explains why clarity beats creativity every single time. If your campaigns feel scattered, confusing, or underperforming, it’s probably not a content problem. It’s a clarity problem. What You’ll Learn in This Episode What a marketing campaign actually is (and what it’s not)Why sending emails and posting during a sale does not equal a campaignThe role a campaign plays in achieving your objectiveWhy confused customers do not convertThe three essential components every campaign needsHow over-educating buyers can cost you salesWhy simplicity outperforms complexity in real-world marketingHow to spot messaging that’s too broad to convert What’s Coming Next This episode sets the foundation for the final part of the series. Next week we’re covering funnel stages, where people actually convert, and how broken funnels quietly drain your marketing budget. Make sure you’re following the show so you don’t miss it. Connect With Us For behind-the-scenes clips, hot takes, and conversations we don’t always have time for on the mic, follow us on Instagram @grindsocialmedia. If you’ve been listening for a while, leaving a quick review helps more business owners find the show and stop wasting money on marketing that doesn’t work. Thanks for listening and thanks for being part of this community. — 📱 Looking for content creation & social strategies that drive REAL results? Visit grindsocialmedia.com. 🤝 Book your free discovery call: calendly.com/grindsocial/discoverycall Get social Instagram: @grindsocialmedia Facebook: facebook.com/GRINDSOCIALMEDIA 📢 I’d love it if you’d share this episode and tag me! Podcasting support Production: theultimatecreative.com Show notes: copymagic.agency

    19 min
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About

Marketing Sucks is the podcast for business owners who are looking for practical, fun, and strategic ways to get noticed online, and don’t want to sit through 30 minutes of filler to get to the good stuff. Each week, Grind Social Media + Co founder Amanda Casinha sits down with the industry’s most interesting and unconventional ad experts, funnel developers, content creators, and changemakers to explore their off-the-beaten-path strategies and experiences in the world of marketing and business — and dig into real stories of failures, strategies, and how they got their jaw-dropping results.

Information

  • Creator
    Amanda Casinha-Ginther
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Marketing Sucks
  • Show Website
    Marketing Sucks