Made For Canada

Cheyanne O'Driscoll
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Made for Canada is the marketing podcast for small business owners and independent entrepreneurs who are done trying to make big-box or guru advice fit a business it wasn't built for. Hosted by marketing consultant Cheyanne O'Driscoll, who's worked with 250+ independently owned Canadian businesses, each episode breaks down owner-led marketing built for small budgets, limited time, and the direct customer connection bigger brands don't have. If you're a small business owner ready to grow without acting like a bigger brand, this is your show.

  1. 5d ago

    How Canadian Small Businesses Can Grow in 2027 Without Raising Prices

    You’ve probably told yourself that if you can’t raise your prices, you’ll just have to market harder. In 2027, doing more is the most expensive way to try to grow. Most independent owners are holding their prices this year, and new research from the CFIB, Deloitte and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce shows what that means for growth. Cheyanne breaks down why tactic-first marketing costs more in 2027, using decades of research on how businesses get through tough economic periods and a client who grew nearly 80% with no ad spend. You’ll leave with three questions to answer this week, so you’re ready to build a 2027 marketing plan that moves your business toward your growth goals. In this episode A local deli owner who won’t pass rising costs on, and why that choice changes the math of growthSmall businesses expect to pass on only about a fifth of rising costs (CFIB)Customers aren’t broke, they’re cautious: two-thirds say their finances are the same or better (Deloitte)Why promotions give you a spike and drop, and why thin margins make that so expensiveA sourdough baker, a day spa and an IT firm, each living two versions of the same 2027Why independents don’t need the whole economy to grow, just enough of the right customersThree questions to answer this week before you write your 2027 marketing plan Timestamps 0:00 — Owners absorbing rising costs so customers don’t have to0:31 — CFIB: only about a fifth of rising costs passed on0:48 — What you’ll walk away with1:06 — Show intro1:33 — A new series on growing in 20272:11 — The deli owner holding her prices3:17 — Why holding prices changes the math3:26 — The three ways to grow a business4:31 — Deloitte: customers are cautious, not broke4:57 — The situation going into 20275:18 — Why most owners respond by doing more5:41 — How discounts cut a thin margin even thinner6:50 — Strategy comes before tactics7:48 — Why “more sales” isn’t a marketing goal8:20 — Connected marketing versus random pieces10:04 — The staircase versus the spike and drop10:30 — Binet and Field: promotions spike and fade11:15 — The Random Acts of Marketing Trap11:47 — Signs you’re in it12:08 — Why it costs more in 202714:02 — What the research says works in tough times15:32 — Renée, the sourdough baker18:36 — Jenna, the day spa20:11 — Daniel, the IT firm22:48 — Owner-Led Marketing and CAR24:40 — OCC: owners trust their business more than the economy25:16 — Why would owners feel better about their own business?25:24 — Why independents don’t need the whole market26:25 — A client’s growth from $95K to $170K with no ad spend28:04 — Action one: set a specific business goal29:00 — Action two: what built and what faded29:38 — Action three: which items were chosen as tactics first29:56 — It’s okay if you picked tactics first32:12 — Growth comes from focus, not volume33:01 — Next week: why your business stage matters33:47 — The free workshop on November 24 “In a tight year, strategic focus compounds. More activity doesn’t. It just wastes your very limited time and money.” Resources mentioned Set Your Top 3 Marketing Priorities for Growth in 2027, free workshop on November 24The Random Acts of Marketing Trap, a five-part podcast series. If you’d like to set your top three marketing priorities before the year turns, join Cheyanne for a free one-hour workshop on Tuesday, November 24, at 9 AM ET on Zoom. You’ll identify your business stage, learn what your marketing needs to accomplish at that stage, choose your three priorities, and leave with a yearly, monthly and weekly rhythm for working on them.

  2. Oct 19

    Why Buy Canadian Love Isn’t Turning Into Small Business Sales

    In the final part of the Claim Your Canadian Advantage series, Cheyanne starts with the compliment every small business owner hears at markets, in DMs and at networking events, and follows it to the moment it turns into “I’ll come back to it.” She breaks down why “support local” puts the whole sale on a customer’s goodwill, and what the businesses actually converting Buy Canadian demand do differently at the point of purchase. “Support local is a request. ‘Here’s why it’s worth it’ is an offer” You’ll leave with one sentence to write this week that gives customers a reason to pay your price, without lowering it. The moment between “I love this” and “add to cart” where small business sales disappearThe stat that shows Canadians aren’t just saying they care; they’re saying they’ll pay moreWhy “support local” is a request, not an offer, and why that ask gets heavier in a tough economyWhat a customer is actually asking themselves at your checkout, and why the trade war isn’t one of those questionsTwo soap makers with the same product, the same $12 price and the same market, and why only one of them is making salesHow a house cleaner earns loyalty before the customer has paid anything, without dropping her rateThree things to do this week: write your “worth it” sentence, put it where people buy, and lower one risk 0:00 — “Oh my god, I love your work!”0:37 — The love is there, so why aren’t they buying?0:47 — Welcome to Made for Canada1:10 — Part 3 of the series: search, story, sales1:56 — Where the sale gets lost2:35 — “They just want the cheapest option”2:49 — 49% of Canadians say they’ll pay more for Canadian-made3:25 — Why “support local” relies on goodwill4:30 — Values vs. decisions (and the dessert problem)5:02 — What customers are really thinking at checkout5:56 — Way 1: Show why it’s worth it7:16 — Way 2: Make it safe to try8:24 — Way 3: Let them feel proud of the choice10:06 — Canadian built in, not maple-washed10:48 — Example: two soap makers11:58 — Example: two house cleaners12:55 — The cheapest-option trap13:58 — Offers vs. requests14:23 — Three things to do this week15:55 — The demand is real, and it’s not going anywhere16:45 — Book a call to plan your 2027 marketing Claim your Canadian Advantage Series: Part 1: Search, getting found by Buy Canadian shoppers Part 2: Story, why a real photo and one honest sentence beat a maple leaf Strategy First podcast series, on why competing on price doesn’t work. Book a call with Cheyanne If you want your marketing to capture Buy Canadian demand in 2027, book a call with Cheyanne to talk through a growth marketing strategy or an annual marketing plan. Annual plans are being built right now, so this is the time to make sure new buyers can find you, believe you and choose you next year.

  3. Oct 13

    Why Buy Canadian Marketing Isn’t Working for Your Small Business

    You’ve probably told yourself that customers say they care about buying Canadian but don’t actually buy. You added the flag and posted the Thanksgiving graphic, and nothing happened. Same pies, same weekend, same customers scrolling, and only one baker gave anyone a reason to stop. Starting with a Legion night where a Newfoundland band’s running joke brought the whole room to its feet, Cheyanne explains why a maple leaf tells customers you’re Canadian but doesn’t give them a reason to choose you. Buy Canadian shoppers are putting real effort into changing how they spend, so they’re looking for proof, not a claim. You’ll leave knowing which kinds of stories small business owners and independent entrepreneurs can share instead, and one swap you can make this week with nothing but your phone. In this episode Why the “put a flag on it” advice isn’t wrong, just missing the context that’s turning feeds into maple washingWhat happens when every small business follows the same Buy Canadian advice, and why customers start scrolling past all of itThe difference between a claim and evidence, and why skeptical customers in a tight economy trust what they see over what you sayThe three kinds of Canadian stories that work in your marketing, and the one that quietly justifies your priceWhat a Newfoundland band, a running joke about “Lake America,” and a song called Canadian Pride show about getting a crowd to actTwo bakers and two bookkeepers making the same claim, and what real, unpolished proof looks like for both product and service businessesThree steps to turn your Canadian label into a Canadian story this week, with no budget, designer, or agency required Timestamps 0:00 — All those maple leaves in your Thanksgiving feed0:30 — Maple washing, and why the flag advice falls short0:53 — What you’ll walk away with1:10 — Welcome to Made for Canada1:36 — Where this episode fits: from getting found to getting chosen2:48 — The Buy Canadian moment and the label-only playbook3:36 — Why nothing happens after the flag goes up3:56 — When everyone says the same thing, it becomes wallpaper4:24 — A label is a claim; a story is evidence4:44 — Why customers need more proof right now5:49 — Who Buy Canadian shoppers really are6:47 — What “story” actually means here7:39 — Story one: your origin7:58 — Story two: your craft or process8:41 — Story three: your community9:34 — The core idea of the series9:49 — A night at the Legion and the “Lake America” bit11:21 — Why it worked: the difference between a label and a story11:44 — Two bakers, same Thanksgiving weekend12:47 — Two bookkeepers, same claim13:50 — The question to stop asking, and the one to ask instead14:21 — What big box stores and online giants can’t copy14:50 — Three actions: find your wallpaper, swap one, add a sentence16:05 — Why customers actually choose a Canadian business16:36 — Next week: turning “I love what you do” into a sale16:51 — The Sales Growth Playbook, starting October 20 “Customers believe what they see over what you claim, every single time.” Resources mentioned Previous episode in the Buy Canadian series, on getting found in search. Visibility that Sells Workshop: Sales Growth Playbook fall speaker series with the Grow to Lead Network.

  4. Oct 5

    Why Buy Canadian Shoppers Can't Find Your Small Business

    You've probably told yourself that Buy Canadian is all talk, because if people meant it, your sales would have moved by now. They mean it: they're typing "Canadian made" into a search bar, and your business isn't in the results. The proof comes from Tina Logassi of Prim Heirloom Designs, whose Etsy sales dropped in 2025 when the trade conflict started, along with data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business and Numerator. Cheyanne breaks down why shoppers who are actively looking for Canadian businesses can't find the ones they want. You'll leave with three searches you can run in five minutes to see whether those shoppers can find you. In this episode Nearly half of small businesses say weak demand is their biggest barrier to growth59% of Canadians say they're intentionally buying CanadianWhy a customer who finds their Canadian go-to stops looking, and what that means for your revenue over the next few yearsThe three places shoppers search now, and why none of them involve your business nameWhy a flag in your bio or a maple leaf on your packaging does nothing at the moment of searchWhat Tina changed after her Etsy sales dropped, and how she ended up 20 to 30% ahead of last yearThree searches to run this week to find out whether Buy Canadian shoppers can find you Timestamps0:01 — The belief: everyone's buying Canadian, except from you0:16 — What you'll walk away with0:24 — Show intro0:50 — "It's all talk"1:24 — Nearly half of small businesses report weak demand1:35 — 59% are intentionally buying Canadian1:53 — Customers are choosing their go-tos now2:49 — Once they find one, they stop looking4:39 — Where the demand is going5:14 — Shoppers are wise to maple washing5:54 — The three places people search6:35 — Why a flag or maple leaf isn't enough7:02 — Keywords: Canadian-made, Canadian-owned and operated8:09 — Being Canadian has to be built in8:25 — Tina's story9:12 — The trade conflict and the Etsy drop9:41 — The three things we changed10:09 — Up 20 to 30% over last year10:52 — Two bookkeepers, one search result11:19 — A problem you can fix this week12:30 — The question to ask instead13:01 — Three searches to run13:52 — Look at who comes up instead of you14:04 — Search, Story and Sales14:26 — The workshop, October 22 Pull quote "Being Canadian is a fact. Being found as Canadian is a choice." Resources mentioned Register for Claim Your Canadian Advantage, the free live workshop on October 22.Prim Heirloom Designs, Tina's handmade keepsakes and patterns.Join the email list for weekly episodes.

  5. Sep 27

    Does Your Small Business Really Need to Be on Social Media?

    You've probably told yourself that if you just posted more consistently, the right clients would finally start showing up. One bookkeeper paid someone to run her Instagram and Facebook for a full year, with beautiful, authentic content, and got zero return. Drawing on eight years and 250+ Canadian independent businesses, Cheyanne breaks down why so much small business content ends up reaching peers instead of buyers, and why selling in every post pushes the right people away. She walks through how everyday, experience and expertise businesses each need a different kind of content, and why the channel you're most comfortable on is usually the right one. You'll walk away with a simple weekly posting rhythm and a backup plan for the months when life gets in the way. In this episode Why posting "book a call" on social media is like walking into a networking room and asking a stranger for a meetingThe reason your LinkedIn posts keep attracting people in your own industry, and the one shift that changes who you reachWhy most independent businesses only need 2–3% of their market, and what that frees you to stop doingThe bookkeeper whose year of polished content brought in nothing, and what it reveals about matching content to your businessWhy spreading your energy across four channels gets you less than focusing on one or twoA three-posts-a-week rhythm that builds trust without constantly asking for the saleHow to keep showing up during your busiest months without creating anything new Timestamps0:00 — Why brand comes before content2:29 — Content is where marketing gets tangible4:31 — Content builds connection, not the sale6:23 — One-to-many: why 100 of the right people is worth it8:27 — The networking room mistake11:23 — Why your posts attract peers instead of buyers13:36 — Know, like and trust17:50 — "You are the brand"19:07 — You only need 2–3% of your market21:41 — Why expertise businesses have to prove it25:55 — Everyday, experience and expertise content30:25 — The bookkeeper with zero return32:34 — The questions your buyers are really asking42:10 — Using pro bono work to build proof43:17 — Why more channels isn't better46:35 — Choosing the channel that fits you48:26 — What every post needs: attuned, valuable, quality50:48 — Three posts a week: give, give, ask53:21 — Your backup plan for busy seasons55:13 — The monthly marketing meeting "Online is just a digital room. These are the same people out there." Resources mentioned Sign up for The Sales Growth Playbook: Fall Speaker Series with the Grow to Lead Network: Book a Marketing Audit.Join the email list.

  6. Sep 20

    Canadians Are Changing Their Buying Habits: What That Means for Your Small Business

    You've spent the past year adapting to tariffs, higher costs, and more careful customers, and you've kept your business going through all of it. Right now something rare is happening across the country, and it won't stay open forever. Summary Canadians are changing where they shop, and 59% now say they're buying Canadian only, up 5 points since July. Cheyanne walks through why it's happening, what the research says, and why this moment is an unusually good time to win customers, whether you sell to consumers or to other businesses. You'll leave with three decisions to make this week so the demand turns into repeat customers, not a one-time bump. In this episode Why most of what we buy is habit, and why tariffs are doing to a whole country what a major life change does to one personThe numbers behind Buy Canadian: 65% prefer Canadian retailers, 63% say their desire is stronger than last year, and nearly 6 in 10 are willing to pay a premiumHow far people are going: checking labels, tracing where products are made, and business owners looking for Canadian alternatives to the tools they've used for yearsThe two numbers that decide your return on marketing, and why both are moving in your favour right nowTwo stories: a shopper whose first order becomes a habit, and a multi-million-dollar company that chose a local independent over a big agencyThree decisions to make this week Timestamps 0:00 — You've spent the past year adapting 0:22 — What's getting lost in the headlines 1:01 — Numerator: 59% buying Canadian only 1:39 — Show intro 2:41 — Principle one: the psychology behind buying habits 3:39 — Why tariffs work like a life event at national scale 4:21 — Principle two: what the surge looks like 4:32 — CIRA and TD: 65% prefer Canadian, 63% say it's stronger 5:18 — BDC: nearly 6 in 10 willing to pay a premium 6:01 — Shoppers are checking labels 6:57 — The B2B side: switching away from long-used tools 7:25 — Principle three: the two numbers behind every customer 9:45 — Two things that decide who collects the return 10:14 — Why this is such an opportunity 11:57 — Story: the shopper and the cookie order 13:13 — Story: the multi-million-dollar client who chose local 14:30 — You didn't create this demand, but you can meet it 15:15 — The audit and the workshop 16:04 — Three actions for this week 17:39 — Why this reaches beyond your revenue "Capturing the demand is the start. Keeping the customer is where the return comes from." Resources mentioned Turn the Tariff Chaos Into Buy Canadian Revenue, free workshop, October 22Buy Canadian Audit application Join the free one-hour workshop, Turn the Tariff Chaos Into Buy Canadian Revenue, on October 22 during Small Business Week, or apply for a Buy Canadian Audit, with both links in the show notes.

  7. Sep 14

    Stop Blaming the Economy: What the Buy Canadian Surge Means for Small Business Owners this Fall

    Applying the template we just built to the actual recording: If you're a Canadian small business owner, you've probably already got January's excuse ready: there just weren't enough buyers this year. Two candle makers with the exact same product and the exact same buyer are about to prove that's not true — one gets found, and one doesn't even enter the search. Using real numbers on Canada's holiday spending, the Buy Canadian shift, and Q4 B2B budget cycles — plus two side-by-side stories of businesses chasing the same demand with opposite outcomes — Cheyanne breaks down why "not enough demand" is about to be the wrong explanation for a soft quarter. She pulls stats from Visa's Retail Spend Monitor, Numerator, and Couponmoose to show three separate forces converging on Q4 at once, then shows exactly where that demand gets won or lost in the moment someone's actually looking for you. You'll walk away with three specific moves to make this week so this quarter's demand actually lands as sales. In this episode Why "there just wasn't enough demand" won't hold up as an excuse once January hitsThree separate, documented forces stacking on Q4 at once — the seasonal surge, the Buy Canadian shift, and B2B "use it or lose it" budgetsWhat it actually means that 49% of Canadians say they'd pay more for a Canadian-made product — if that business can even be foundA candle maker and a snow removal company: two stories that prove the same demand can land completely differently, on the consumer and B2B side alikeWhy showing up now doesn't just capture this year's demand — it can put you in line for what gets allocated in 2027Three specific actions to take this week so this quarter's demand actually reaches youTimestamps0:00 — The excuse you're about to have zero right to make0:27 — What you'll walk away with0:45 — Welcome to Made for Canada1:10 — Naming the excuse before January hits2:06 — Force #1: the normal seasonal surge2:35 — Force #2: the Buy Canadian shift3:31 — Force #3: Q4 "use it or lose it" B2B budgets — and 2027 planning4:16 — In summary: demand is about to surge4:40 — B2C: the candle maker and the Buy Canadian search5:34 — B2B: the snow removal shortlist and the SEO/GEO gap7:09 — What changes when you see both stories side by side8:05 — Three actionable steps for this week9:43 — Demand isn't the reason for a soft fall — marketing is the lever10:20 — CTA: follow, the email list, and the Sales Forum in Belleville "The demand is going to be there in Q4. But will your marketing?" Resources mentioned Join the email listGrow to Lead in-person workshop with Kerry Ramsay, September 18 Hit follow and get on the email list to catch every episode as it drops, and if you're local to the Bay of Quinte or Kingston area, grab one of the last few spots at the Grow to Lead Sales Forum in Belleville this Friday — both links above.

  8. Sep 7

    The Small Business Marketing Myth of Location, Location, Location

    If you're a Canadian small business owner, you've probably told yourself that the right location — or finally getting your content right — would be the thing that turns your sales around. A local business owner did both, beautifully, and closed after six years anyway. Using a real story from her own community — a stunning, high-visibility storefront paired with genuinely great, on-trend social media — Cheyanne breaks down why individually excellent marketing moves can still add up to a business closing. She pulls real numbers from her own survey of 100+ Ontario business owners to show exactly how common this trap is, and what the data reveals about the direct link between having a marketing system and actually feeling confident in your marketing. You'll walk away with three specific checks to run on your own marketing before your next big investment. In this episode Why a beautiful, high-visibility location and genuinely great social media weren't enough to save a six-year-old local businessThe real difference between ad-hoc marketing ("the random acts of marketing trap") and a systematic marketing approachWhat her survey of 100+ Ontario business owners reveals about how common the ad-hoc trap actually is — and the direct link between having a system and marketing confidenceWhere "location" and "content" actually sit inside a real marketing system, and why doing them well still isn't enough on its ownThe shift from asking "is this working" to asking "is this connected"Three actions to pressure-test your own marketing before your next big move Timestamps 0:00 — The belief every brick-and-mortar and service business owner has had0:29 — The story: a beautiful downtown business goes all-in on location and content1:18 — After 6 years, she announces she's closing1:47 — What you'll walk away with2:10 — Welcome to Made for Canada2:43 — Naming what really happened: ad-hoc vs. systematic marketing3:41 — The survey data: 85% of business owners are running on trial-and-error or habit7:39 — The confidence data: 2.5/5 vs. 3.6+/59:02 — Back to the story: location as funnel, content as content10:30 — The real question: what else could have carried them further11:16 — Owner-Led Marketing and the four-part Marketing Stack12:49 — The shift: stop asking "is it working," start asking "is it connected"13:27 — Three actions to sit with this week16:38 — This isn't a story about getting it wrong17:09 — CTA: 1:1 applications and the Grow to Lead workshop "It doesn't look like failure while it's happening. It looks like doing all of the right things." Resources mentioned 1:1 application to build your Marketing Stack Grow to Lead in-person workshop with Kerry Ramsay, September 18 Apply for one of the few open 1:1 spots this fall to build your Marketing Stack with Cheyanne directly, or join her in person at the Grow to Lead Sales Forum in Belleville on September 18.

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About

Made for Canada is the marketing podcast for small business owners and independent entrepreneurs who are done trying to make big-box or guru advice fit a business it wasn't built for. Hosted by marketing consultant Cheyanne O'Driscoll, who's worked with 250+ independently owned Canadian businesses, each episode breaks down owner-led marketing built for small budgets, limited time, and the direct customer connection bigger brands don't have. If you're a small business owner ready to grow without acting like a bigger brand, this is your show.

Information

  • Creator
    Cheyanne O'Driscoll
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    66
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Cheyanne O'Driscoll
  • Show Website
    Made For Canada