Marketing Espresso

Bec Chappell
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Your easily digestible, quality shot of helpful marketing advice. Marketing Espresso is a podcast about marketing strategy, branding, business growth and visibility for modern business owners. Hosted by marketing strategist Bec Chappell, the show explores what’s actually working in marketing right now - from content and email marketing to AI, branding, customer psychology and business growth.

  1. 17h ago

    Stop outsourching your marketing brain to AI

    Send us Fan Mail Are marketers genuinely at risk of being replaced by AI, or have we allowed the panic surrounding the technology to distract us from what good marketing actually requires? In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I am joined by Chanel, founder of The Marketing Club, for a very honest conversation about AI anxiety, the future of marketing careers and why human thought is still our greatest advantage. Chanel spends a lot of time speaking with marketers across different stages of their careers, from university students and emerging talent through to senior leaders. Increasingly, she is receiving panicked messages from people wondering whether their jobs will still exist, whether they need to master every new AI tool and whether they are doing enough to remain relevant. I understand the feeling. There is constant pressure to read more, learn faster and stay at the forefront of a technology that is still evolving. As soon as you understand one tool or process, it changes. A new platform appears. An update removes something you spent hours building. Someone online tells you they have used AI to increase their productivity tenfold, and suddenly you feel as though you are falling behind. But do marketers really need to structure their entire careers around keeping up with every new feature? Chanel’s answer is refreshingly simple: stop freaking out. That does not mean ignoring AI or pretending it will have no impact. It means learning to recognise the difference between using AI as a valuable tool and allowing it to replace the thinking, discernment and creativity marketers are employed to provide. In this episode, we explore: Why marketers feel so overwhelmed by the speed of AI developmentThe difference between using AI as a tool and outsourcing your professional judgementWhy emerging marketers need to learn what good marketing looks like before relying on AIHow human emotion, nostalgia and memory influence purchasing decisionsWhy traditional marketing fundamentals are becoming more important, not lessThe value of intergenerational learning within the marketing industryWhy unscalable human interactions can create powerful marketing resultsHow marketers can remain valuable without mastering every available AI toolOne of the greatest risks is not simply that AI will replace tasks. It is that marketers will stop developing the ability to assess whether the output is any good. AI can generate a campaign idea, a marketing strategy or a piece of content within seconds. But unless the person using the tool understands positioning, customer behaviour, creative strategy, brand, messaging and commercial objectives, they may not be able to recognise whether that output is useful, generic or completely wrong. This is especially concerning for emerging marketers who have entered the industry at a time when AI is already embedded in the way work is produced. Earlier generations learned by sitting in rooms with other marketers, presenting ideas, reading reactions and having their work challenged. It was not always comfortable, but it developed judgement. You learned why an idea landed. You learned why another one did not. You learned how people responded emotionally. You learned to read the room. AI cannot recreate that human experience. It can analyse patterns and reproduce language associated with nostalgia, emotion or connection, but it does not possess memories, a gut feeling or a lived understanding of what those emotions mean. Marketing is built around humans. People buy because of trust, emotion, recognition, connection, identity and familiarity. Whether we are marketing to consumers or businesses, there is still a person making the decision. That is why referrals, relationships, brand experiences, conversations and communities remain so powerful. We also explore why marketers have become overly focused on scalability. Chanel shares that after events held by The Marketing Club, she personally messages attendees, asks for feedback and acknowledges the people who participated. It can take hours. It could probably be automated, but automation would remove the human interaction that makes the process valuable. The same principle applies to handing out physical flyers, speaking to someone in a park, attending an industry event or taking the time to have a genuine conversation. These activities may not look efficient on a spreadsheet. They may still produce a stronger relationship, a moment of joy or a memorable experience that no automated funnel could reproduce. The return on marketing does not always begin with an immediate transaction. Sometimes the first return is recognition. Trust. A conversation. The feeling that there is a real person behind the business. This does not mean rejecting technology. AI can be incredibly useful for analysing large amounts of data, accelerating research, exploring ideas and lowering the barriers to starting something new. The issue is how we apply it. Use it to support your thinking. Do not assume it should do the thinking for you. If you are worried about your future as a marketer, return to the fundamentals. Learn how marketing works. Develop your judgement. Speak to customers. Get into rooms with other marketers. Ask questions. Find experienced people willing to share what they know, and remain open to what the next generation can teach you in return. Most importantly, do not forget that everyone is navigating this change at the same time. Your manager does not necessarily have all the answers. Your company’s leadership team may be just as uncertain about the implications of AI as you are. You do not need to become an expert in every new tool overnight. You need to remain curious, thoughtful and useful. Listen to the full conversation for an honest, funny and reassuring discussion about AI, marketing careers and why the industry’s future may be far more human than we think. Follow Marketing Espresso for more candid conversations about strategy, business, marketing and what is really happening behind the noise. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  2. Jul 27

    My five 1%ers you can change today to make a huge difference in your marketing

    Send us Fan Mail Are you spending time, money and energy on your marketing but still wondering why it is not generating the leads or momentum you expected? Marketing Espresso is back for its third and final season of 2026, and I am kicking things off with some fairly big personal news: I am pregnant. It is a big part of why the podcast has looked a little different this year. Recording, training and running strategy sessions while dealing with months of morning sickness was not exactly the breezy experience I might have imagined. Breaking the podcast into seasons gave me the space to continue sharing useful conversations without trying to maintain an unrealistic production schedule. This will be the final Marketing Espresso season for 2026 while I take some time away to have a baby. It is not the final season ever, so everyone can calm down. Before I head off, I want to give you some practical ideas you can use to strengthen your marketing and prepare your business for 2027. This episode was prompted by a client conversation about generating consistent cold leads. Two new leads a month might sound like a straightforward goal, but whether it is realistic depends on how the entire business is set up. Can you switch on an advertising campaign and generate leads relatively quickly? Or are you operating in a relationship-driven industry where business development, referrals, trust and direct conversations do more of the sales heavy lifting? Marketing does not operate separately from the rest of the business. Your positioning, brand, website, customer experience, sales process and ability to build relationships all influence what your marketing can achieve. Instead of giving you another list of content ideas, I am sharing five marketing “one percenters”: relatively small areas that can create a noticeable shift when you approach them properly. In this episode, I explore: Why your website remains an important digital storefront, even when most of your leads appear to come through social media, LinkedIn or referralsWhy generic AI-generated branding, imagery and design could be making your business less memorableHow improving your customer flow can increase repeat business, referrals and customer satisfactionWhy every marketing channel needs a clearly understood purpose and realistic expectationsHow to use a 70/20/10 approach to plan your marketing while leaving room for experimentationYour website does not need to be the most expensive or technically impressive site on the internet. It does need to be functional, easy to navigate, visually aligned with your brand and clear about what you do, who you support and what someone should do next. The same principle applies to design. Canva and AI tools have made it easier than ever to create something quickly, but quick does not always mean distinctive. When every business uses the same templates, stock imagery and AI-generated visuals, everything begins to look remarkably similar. Your brand should feel like your business. It should build recognition, trust and emotional connection rather than looking like something generated from the same prompt as everyone else. The third one percenter is your customer flow. This is one of the areas businesses often fail to think of as marketing, despite the potential return. What happens after someone enquires? What happens after they buy? How do you continue adding value? How do you encourage repeat business? When and how do you ask for referrals? Before spending more externally, take a look at what is happening internally. The fourth area is understanding what each marketing activity is designed to do. Organic social media may create visibility, trust and familiarity, but it cannot be expected to complete the entire sales process on its own. Posting consistently is not the same as building relationships. Sending a weekly email is not the same as having a complete conversion strategy. Being active on LinkedIn is not the same as carrying out intentional outreach and engagement. You need to understand where an activity sits within the customer journey, what kind of return it can reasonably produce and how much time it may take. Finally, you need a marketing plan that combines consistency with flexibility. One approach I use with a client is the 70/20/10 model: 70 per cent is the proven business-as-usual marketing we know we want to continue20 per cent is activity we have already tested and now want to improve or expand10 per cent is reserved for new ideas, experiments and calculated risksA good marketing plan should include the campaigns, sales periods and activities you know matter to your business. It should also create room to test something new, form a hypothesis, review the result and decide whether it belongs in the long-term strategy. You do not necessarily need to tackle all five areas at once. Choose one. Give it proper time, energy and attention. Decide what success would look like, create an execution plan and follow it through. The answer to a difficult market is not always to spend more or create more noise. Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is stop, assess what is already happening and make one meaningful improvement. If you are ready to set your marketing up properly for 2027, reach out and let me know. I will be returning to strategy sessions from mid-November. Follow Marketing Espresso so you do not miss the rest of this final season for 2026, and share this episode with another business owner who feels like their marketing is stuck. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  3. Jul 6

    What the SmartCompany Growth Summit Reinforced About Business Growth

    Send us Fan Mail In this solo episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m wrapping up season two with a conversation about marketing strategy, business growth, AI, customer experience and why the foundations of good marketing still matter, even when the world around us feels like it is changing at speed. After taking myself out of the office and spending time at the SmartCompany Growth Summit, I wanted to share the ideas, reminders and uncomfortable truths that stayed with me. Because while AI, agentic commerce, automation and changing consumer behaviour are all big conversations right now, I kept coming back to something much simpler: marketing is still a business function, not just a collection of posts, ads or content ideas. One of the biggest reminders from the event was that consistency over a long period of time still matters. Marketing is not free. It is not just social media. It is not something that magically creates leads if the rest of the business is unclear. Marketing works best when it is built on strong foundations, clear strategy, customer understanding, brand positioning and the patience to build something over time. I also reflect on hearing Naomi Simson speak about the early days of RedBalloon, including the story of how long it took to get the first sale and the level of dedication required to get the business moving. It was such a good reminder that there is no such thing as an overnight business. Behind every “quick” success story is usually grit, effort, persistence and a huge amount of foundational work. This episode also dives into one of the questions I think more business owners need to ask: what impact are we already having on our customers? So many businesses are focused on finding more customers, but they forget to listen to the stories of the customers they already have. If you want to understand your unique selling proposition, your customer journey and the real value of your business, you need to ask better questions. I also talk about AI and why I believe businesses need to be incredibly careful about outsourcing too much of their thinking to technology. AI can help with repetitive tasks, data, reports and automation, but it cannot replace the human insight, creativity, disruption and emotional intelligence that strong businesses and strong brands need. We also explore the idea of agentic commerce, where AI could potentially make purchases on our behalf, and what that might mean for consumer behaviour. If people currently buy based on emotion, what happens when an AI agent starts making purchasing decisions based on logic, patterns and prompts? It raises big questions for marketers, business owners and brands trying to build trust and loyalty. Another key theme in this episode is the difference between using AI as a support tool and using it to replace the roles that require human judgement. Whether we are talking about virtual CFOs, CMOs, strategists or operations support, the danger is not necessarily the technology itself. The danger is assuming AI can understand the nuance, context, emotion and intuition required to make strong business decisions. This episode is also a reminder that marketing is not just about lead generation. Yes, leads matter. Sales matter. Growth matters. But marketing is also about relationships, customer experience, positioning, trust, visibility, brand memory and making sure people understand why your business exists in the first place. If you have been feeling overwhelmed by AI, tired of being told to “just post more”, or unsure where to focus your marketing energy, this episode is designed to bring you back to the basics that actually matter. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  4. Jun 29

    How to Build Trust When Everyone Is Using AI

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined by Tahnée Sanders for a very honest conversation about AI, content marketing, originality, transparency and what it really means to show up online in a world flooded with generic content. Tahnée and I start with the thing a lot of business owners and marketers are quietly thinking right now: we are all using AI in some way, but many people are not being completely honest about it. Whether it’s helping tidy up a LinkedIn post, pulling key ideas from a podcast transcript, generating show notes, summarising research or shaping a first draft, AI has become part of the way many of us work. But the real question is not simply whether we should use AI. The better question is: why are we using it, how are we using it, and what are we outsourcing in the process? We talk about the rise of what Tahnée calls AI slop - content that might technically be fine, but feels generic, forgettable and disconnected from any real point of view. We unpack why this matters for business owners, especially when so many brands are creating more content than ever, but not necessarily creating content that says anything meaningful. One of the biggest themes in this conversation is the difference between using AI to reduce your thinking effort and using AI to replace your thinking responsibility. That distinction really matters. AI can help organise ideas, simplify a process, pull out themes, tidy structure and support execution, but it cannot decide what your business should be known for. It cannot create your unique point of difference for you. It cannot replace lived experience, original thought, strategic positioning or the human parts of your brand that people actually connect with. We also explore the growing conversation around AI transparency. Tahnee shares recent data showing that many consumers are comfortable with brands using AI if they are transparent about it. But that leads to a much bigger question: what does transparency actually look like when AI can be used in so many different ways? There is a huge difference between using AI to tidy up your own work and asking it to create an entire piece of thought leadership from scratch. This episode also touches on the pressure to constantly create more content, and why that pressure has become even more intense now that AI can help produce content at scale. But more content does not automatically mean more trust, more connection or more authority. In fact, more content without a clear purpose can become a distraction. Tahnée and I also talk about the importance of knowing what you want to be known for before you ask AI to help you create content. If you do not know your point of difference, your values, your audience, your tone or the message you want to own in your market, AI is likely to give you something generic. And generic content is becoming easier and easier to ignore. We also discuss how business owners are rethinking their relationship with social media. Many of us have spent years feeling like we need to be everywhere, posting constantly, showing up on every platform and creating content in every possible format. But the businesses building real connection are often the ones going deeper, not wider. They know where their people are, they know what they want to be known for, and they are creating with more purpose rather than simply feeding the content machine. Tahnée also shares her experience building The Unwind Co, a product-based business focused on creative project boxes for women. Through that business, she has seen firsthand how important it is to pay attention to data, understand what content resonates, and build a community around a genuine point of difference rather than simply throwing content at the wall. This conversation is a timely reminder that AI is not the enemy, but lazy marketing is. The competitive advantage moving forward will not come from creating the most content. It will come from having a strong point of view, knowing what your business stands for, and using AI as a tool rather than a substitute for original thought. Connect with Tahnée hello@tahneesanders.com www.thestrategystudio.com.au Instagram LinkedIn DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  5. Jun 22

    Engaging Audiences in the Age of Information Overload with Mel Kettle

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined by Mel Kettle for a very honest conversation about what has really changed in marketing over the past 20 years and what, despite all the technology, still remains exactly the same. Mel and I have both been in and around marketing, communications and business long enough to have seen the shift from brochures, direct mail and year-long conference lead times through to websites, email marketing, social media, LinkedIn, content marketing and now, of course, AI. And while so much has changed, this conversation kept coming back to one very simple truth: people still want to do business with people. We talk about why so many of us are feeling jaded by social media right now, particularly LinkedIn, where the algorithm seems to be serving more sponsored posts, second and third connections, and random notifications than the people we actually care about. We also unpack why showing up online still matters, especially for consultants and professional service providers, but why it has to be done with more intention than simply posting for the sake of posting. Mel shares how much of her business over the years has come through social media, from Twitter in the early days through to LinkedIn more recently, but we also talk about the reality that these platforms now require far more energy, consistency and thoughtful engagement than they once did. We also dive into email marketing and why it can feel more intimate and valuable than social media, particularly when people have actively chosen to be on your list. There is something different about writing to people who have invited you into their inbox, and we talk about why that can create stronger connection than trying to win attention in an increasingly crowded feed. Of course, we also talk about AI. Not in a panic-driven way, but in a practical way. AI can absolutely help us simplify tasks, pull ideas together, analyse information and speed up certain processes, but it should not replace the human thinking, emotion and effort that good marketing requires. Mel also shares her Human Leadership Matrix, built around clarity and humanity, and we explore how those two ideas apply beautifully to marketing. If we want our marketing to work, we need to be clear on what we are selling, who it is for, what value it provides and how we want people to feel. This episode is a reminder that while the tools keep changing, the foundations of good marketing do not. Strategy still matters. Human connection still matters. Effort still matters. And if we want people to care about our businesses, we have to give them something real to connect with. Key takeaways from this episode include the importance of being visible online without letting algorithms dictate your entire marketing strategy, the value of email as a more personal and owned communication channel, and the role of AI as a support tool rather than a replacement for original thought. The action from this episode is to look at your own marketing and ask whether it is clear, human and genuinely useful. Are you creating content with effort and intention, or just adding to the noise? Are you using AI to support your thinking, or outsourcing the very parts of marketing that make your brand memorable? And are you building a marketing strategy that helps people trust you, understand you and actually want to work with you? You can connect with Mel Kettle at melkettle.com, on LinkedIn, or on Instagram where she shares business insights, books, food and the occasional muddy dog paw print. Order your signed copy of Fully Connected DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  6. Jun 15

    Brand Strategy vs Marketing Strategy: Why Your Business Needs Both with Clare Walter

    Send us Fan Mail Are you spending hours creating content, posting on social media, and trying every marketing tactic under the sun but still not seeing the results you want? In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I sit down with brand strategist and designer Clare Walter for a candid conversation about one of the biggest challenges facing business owners right now: the growing disconnect between strategy and execution. Together, we unpack the difference between brand strategy and marketing strategy, why so many businesses are skipping the foundational work, and how the rise of AI and templated marketing advice is leading many business owners down the wrong path. We discuss why social media isn't a marketing strategy, how businesses can find their true competitive advantage, and why understanding your customers will always outperform chasing trends. We also explore the role of positioning, customer research, marketing investment, and how businesses can continue to grow during challenging economic times. One of the biggest themes throughout this conversation is the importance of being known for something specific. Rather than trying to appeal to everyone, Clare shares why businesses that narrow their focus often create stronger brands, attract better clients, and build more sustainable growth. We also dive into the dangers of generic marketing, the limitations of AI-generated strategies, and why businesses that invest in understanding their customers consistently outperform those who rely on shortcuts. If you've been feeling overwhelmed by marketing, frustrated by inconsistent results, or unsure where to focus your energy, this episode will help you step back, refocus, and return to the fundamentals that actually drive business growth. Key Takeaways A strong brand strategy and marketing strategy work together and should inform every decision you make in your business. Social media is a marketing channel, not a complete marketing strategy. AI can be a useful tool, but it cannot replace critical thinking, customer research, positioning, or strategic decision-making. Businesses that clearly define their niche, positioning, and competitive advantage are often more successful than businesses trying to appeal to everyone. Understanding your customers, their behaviours, and their motivations is one of the most valuable investments you can make. Marketing should be treated as an investment, not an afterthought. Consistency across your website, emails, messaging, and customer experience builds trust and improves conversion. The most effective businesses often double down on strategy during challenging economic conditions rather than pulling back. Action Steps Review your current marketing activity and ask yourself whether each channel is supporting a clear strategy. Spend time identifying what makes your business genuinely different rather than simply better. Survey your customers and prospects to better understand why they choose you and what they value most. Audit your brand touchpoints to ensure your messaging and visual identity are consistent. Consider where you're spending time and whether those activities are delivering a meaningful return on investment. Focus on building trust, relationships, and customer experience rather than chasing vanity metrics. Connect with Clare Walter Find Clare online and learn more about her work in brand strategy, positioning, and website design through the links in the show notes: https://ignitely.com.au/best-to-only-signup/ DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  7. Jun 8

    How to Stand Out on LinkedIn in an AI-Driven World with Kate Merryweather

    Send us Fan Mail If LinkedIn has been feeling harder lately, you are definitely not imagining it. Feeds are flooded with generic AI-generated posts, engagement feels repetitive, and there’s a growing sense that everyone is trying to sound the same. But according to LinkedIn expert Kate Merryweather, that actually creates a huge opportunity for people willing to show up differently. In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I sit down with Kate to unpack what’s really happening on LinkedIn right now, why the rise of AI content is making authenticity more valuable than ever, and how businesses can stand out by leaning harder into personality, perspective and human connection. One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that LinkedIn has never actually been easier for people willing to be real. While content production is increasing, much of it is becoming generic and forgettable. Kate explains why being a “breath of fresh air” on the platform matters more than perfect strategy and how the businesses building trust are the ones showing more of the human behind the brand. We also talk about the pressure many people feel to sound “professional” online and why that often translates into sounding incredibly boring. Kate shares practical advice for finding your own voice, building confidence on LinkedIn, and creating content that genuinely sounds like you rather than something generated by AI or copied from everyone else in your industry. This conversation also dives into:  Why AI-generated content is making personality more important  The difference between visibility and genuine connection  How to build trust and likability through LinkedIn  Why personal branding matters more than company pages  The role video content will play in LinkedIn’s future  How to approach LinkedIn if you’re a business owner or employee  Why referrals are one of LinkedIn’s most underrated opportunities  The problem with generic engagement and “AI slop”  How to make content feel more human  Why consistency matters less than long-term visibility and connection We also have a really honest conversation about business right now. The reality is many business owners are feeling the pressure of economic uncertainty, changing consumer behaviour and increased competition online. Kate shares how she’s adapting her offers to meet the market where it currently is and why visibility still matters, even when people are buying more cautiously. One of the things I loved most about this conversation is that it wasn’t about hacks or chasing algorithms. It was about building a sustainable, human presence online that people actually connect with. Because ultimately, people still buy from people. And in a world full of AI-generated noise, personality, honesty and perspective are becoming your biggest competitive advantage. Connect with Kate: https://www.skool.com/show-up-school  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemerryweather/ https://www.katemerryweather.com.au/ DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

  8. Jun 1

    AI, Marketing and Why Human Connection Still Wins with Brook McCathy

    Send us Fan Mail What actually works in marketing right now? That’s the question I keep hearing from business owners everywhere - from solo operators through to multi-million dollar companies. The reality is, a lot of the old marketing playbooks simply aren’t working the way they used to. Social media feels crowded, attention spans are fragmented, AI-generated content is flooding feeds, and consumers are becoming more cautious about who they trust and where they spend their money. In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I sit down with Brook McCarthy to unpack what she calls The Momentum Effect - and honestly, this conversation lit me up. We dive deep into why momentum in marketing isn’t about being perfectly consistent. It’s about being committed. Committed to your message, committed to your relationships, committed to showing up in ways that actually create connection over time. Brook shares why she believes relationship-building is still the most powerful marketing strategy available, especially in a market where people are craving trust, authenticity, and genuine human interaction more than ever before. We talk about the shift away from transactional marketing and why audiences are becoming increasingly resistant to surface-level content and one-way broadcasting. Instead, the brands and businesses standing out right now are the ones creating conversations, building communities, and making people feel something. This episode also explores the impact AI is having on marketing and consumer behaviour. While AI is changing the way businesses create content, it’s also increasing the need for human connection. Brook explains why businesses with strong opinions, personality, integrity, and emotional connection are going to become even more valuable in the years ahead. We also discuss:  Why “be consistent” might actually be terrible marketing advice  The difference between consistency and commitment  How to create momentum in your marketing without burning yourself out  Why relationship-building should be part of your marketing strategy  The role community plays in modern business growth  How social media has shifted from connection to performance  Why consumers are becoming more selective about who they trust  The importance of conversation over broadcasting  How to become more memorable in your industry  Why your opinions and personality matter more than ever One of my favourite parts of this conversation was Brook's reminder that people don’t just want content anymore - they want connection. They want to feel understood. They want businesses and brands that actually stand for something. If you’ve been feeling frustrated by marketing lately, overwhelmed by social media, or unsure how to stand out in an increasingly noisy world, this episode is such an important listen. Because maybe the future of marketing isn’t about more content. Maybe it’s about deeper connection. Connect with Brook here: [w] BrookMcCarthy.com [w] HustleandHeart.com.au DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER Instagram @bec_chappell LinkedIn – Bec Chappell If you're ready to work together, I'm ready to work with you and your team. How to work with me: 1. Marketing foundations and strategy consultation 2. Marketing Coaching/ Whispering for you a marketing leader or your team who you want to develop into marketing leaders 3. Book me as a speaker or advisor for your organisation 4. Get me on your podcast This podcast has been produced and edited by Snappystreet Creative

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About

Your easily digestible, quality shot of helpful marketing advice. Marketing Espresso is a podcast about marketing strategy, branding, business growth and visibility for modern business owners. Hosted by marketing strategist Bec Chappell, the show explores what’s actually working in marketing right now - from content and email marketing to AI, branding, customer psychology and business growth.

Information

  • Creator
    Bec Chappell
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    421
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Marketing Espresso
  • Show Website
    Marketing Espresso

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