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. Sep 1

    Working With Your Partner: The Mental Load of Business, Marriage, and Entrepreneurship

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are joined by award-winning psychotherapist Natacha Pennycooke for a real conversation about what it actually takes to work with your partner, protect your relationship, and run a business without letting it take over your entire life. They unpack the mental load that comes with being business partners, especially when you are also married, and why entrepreneurship can put extra pressure on your nervous system, communication, boundaries, and emotional capacity. From defining roles and managing resentment to handling different risk tolerances, setting business boundaries at home, and learning how to separate couple time from work time, this episode is an honest look at the beautiful, messy, complicated reality of “couplepreneurship.” If you work with your spouse, business partner, friend, or anyone you are deeply connected to, this conversation will help you think more intentionally about what the business needs, what the relationship needs, and what you need as a human being. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why working with your partner can add a whole new layer of mental load ✔ How entrepreneurship can impact your nervous system, relationship, and home life ✔ Why the business can start to feel like a “third person” in the relationship ✔ How to set boundaries around when business conversations happen ✔ Why defining roles clearly can prevent resentment, confusion, and micromanaging ✔ What happens when old relationship issues start showing up in the business ✔ Why accountability matters in both business partnerships and romantic relationships ✔ How to recognize patterns that may be showing up across multiple relationships ✔ What to do when one partner is risk-averse and the other is more impulsive or decisive ✔ Why weekly check-ins can help partners stay aligned, supported, and on the same page ✔ What a healthy “couplepreneur” relationship can look like in real life ✔ Why working together does not mean talking about the business every second of the day About Natacha Pennycooke Natacha Pennycooke is an award-winning psychotherapist, speaker, and mental health professional who supports individuals, couples, teens, and families through honest, compassionate, and deeply human therapeutic work. She is known for creating safe, supportive spaces where people can explore relationships, communication, identity, emotional patterns, stress, and life transitions with more clarity and self-trust. Through her practice, group programs, and mental health education, Natacha helps people feel seen, supported, and better equipped to navigate the messy, real parts of life. — 📱 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

  2. Aug 18

    Email Marketing That Builds Community, Trust, and Sales

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are talking about why email marketing is not dead, but the way most businesses are using it absolutely needs help. Instead of treating your email list like a place to blast sales messages 24/7, Amanda breaks down how to use email as a community-building tool that creates trust, conversation, loyalty, and long-term sales. They unpack why people unsubscribe, why generic newsletters fall flat, how to send emails people actually want to open, and why your brand voice matters more than ever in an inbox full of AI-generated content. From welcome sequences and abandoned cart flows to behind-the-scenes storytelling, segmentation, real tips, replies, and consistency, this episode is a practical reminder that your email list is one of the few marketing assets you actually own. If your emails feel like they are going nowhere, this conversation will help you rethink the way you show up in the inbox. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why email marketing is still one of the most valuable tools in your business ✔ The biggest mistake businesses make when they only use email to sell ✔ How to turn your email list into a community-building tool ✔ Why generic newsletters are not enough to keep people engaged ✔ What kind of tips and content make people actually want to open your emails ✔ How behind-the-scenes storytelling can build trust and connection ✔ Why segmentation matters if you want better clicks, sales, and engagement ✔ How to use testimonials in a way that feels human, not lazy or generic ✔ Why AI-written emails can weaken your brand voice and connection ✔ Which automations and flows every business should have set up ✔ How welcome sequences, abandoned cart emails, post-purchase emails, nurture emails, and re-engagement emails can support sales ✔ Why consistency matters more than sending emails every single day ✔ How to audit your email strategy, flows, calendar, and content so your list actually starts working for you 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

  3. Aug 4

    Scaling a Business With Integrity: Dr. Adrienne Shnier on Ethical Marketing, Student Success, and Staying in Your Lane

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are joined by Dr. Adrienne Shnier, founder and CEO of Apply Yourself Global, for a conversation about scaling a business without losing your integrity. Adrienne shares the story of how AYG grew from helping students with applications at a Starbucks table to becoming a revolutionary company for student success, admissions support, test prep, academic coaching, and career development. Together, they unpack why fear-based marketing, bogus guarantees, and big-box business tactics do not belong in a company built on trust, care, and real outcomes. From staying in your lane and refusing to lower your standards to building strong foundations, listening to your community, and creating offers based on what people actually need, this episode is a reminder that scaling slowly, intentionally, and ethically is not a weakness. It is the whole point. If you have ever felt pressure to market like everyone else, promise more than you can deliver, or rush the growth of your business, this conversation will bring you back to what actually matters. What You’ll Learn ✔ How Apply Yourself Global started organically from Adrienne helping students at Starbucks ✔ Why AYG was built on integrity, student support, and real admissions committee insight ✔ What it means to scale a business without relying on fear-based marketing ✔ Why bogus guarantees can attract the wrong energy and damage trust ✔ How Adrienne stayed in her lane while other companies used pressure, panic, and big-box tactics ✔ Why strong foundations matter more than fast growth ✔ How building with integrity can feel slow, but creates a more sustainable business ✔ Why listening to your community is one of the best ways to create aligned offers ✔ How AYG expanded into admissions support, LSAT, MCAT, DAT prep, and academic coaching based on real student needs ✔ Why standards do not need to be lowered in order to grow ✔ How trust, care, and human connection can become your strongest brand differentiators ✔ Why ethical marketing is not just about what you say, but how people feel when they interact with your brand About Dr. Adrienne Shnier Dr. Adrienne Shnier is the founder and CEO of Apply Yourself Global, a student success and admissions support company helping students from high school through graduate, professional school, and beyond. With more than 15 years of experience on admissions committees, as a professor, lawyer, program director, and academic coach, Adrienne brings a deeply informed, human-first approach to admissions, test prep, academic success, and career development. Through AYG, she and her team support students with integrity, strategy, mindset, and personalized coaching, helping clients build strong applications, stronger confidence, and sustainable success. — 📱 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

  4. Jul 21

    Q4 Marketing Planning: Why Your Holiday Campaigns Need to Start in Summer

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are talking about why thinking about Christmas in the summer might suck, but scrambling through Q4 sucks even more. In this episode, they break down why July and August are the perfect time to start planning your holiday campaigns, Black Friday promotions, Cyber Monday offers, year-end campaigns, new year launches, corporate budget pushes, events, and annual recaps. Amanda explains why Q4 is not just “holiday content,” it is often one of the biggest revenue windows of the year, and why waiting until the fall can cost you money, sanity, and team capacity. From reviewing last year’s campaign data and mapping your promotional calendar to planning photo shoots, landing pages, email flows, inventory, ad budgets, and team resources, this episode is your reminder that a profitable Q4 does not happen by accident. If you want your year-end marketing to feel strategic instead of chaotic, this is your sign to start now. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why Q4 marketing planning should start in the summer ✔ Why “Christmas in July” is not just a cute phrase, it is a smart business move ✔ What actually happens in Q4 beyond holiday shopping ✔ Why Black Friday, Cyber Monday, year-end campaigns, new year campaigns, events, and corporate budgets all need a real plan ✔ What product-based businesses need to prepare before Q4, including inventory, shoots, packaging, shipping, landing pages, and email campaigns ✔ What service-based businesses need to think about, including discovery calls, lead generation, fall programs, cohorts, warm leads, and capacity ✔ Why reviewing last year’s campaign data should come before building this year’s plan ✔ How to map your promotional calendar so you can see the real workload behind every launch ✔ Why too many overlapping offers can confuse your audience and exhaust your team ✔ How poor planning can lead to rush fees, missed sales, burnout, and messy execution ✔ Why summer is the best time to create strategy, set direction, and protect your future self ✔ What to do now if you have not started planning your Q4 campaigns yet — 📱 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

  5. Jul 7

    Future Demand Marketing: Why Performance Marketing Alone Won’t Grow Your Business

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda and Phil are talking about why performance marketing alone is not enough to build a business that lasts. After seeing James Hurman speak in Toronto about his book Future Demand, they break down the difference between marketing to people who are ready to buy now and building trust with the people who may buy from you in the future. From paid ads, retargeting, sales emails, and lead magnets to podcasts, founder stories, educational content, customer stories, and community building, this episode explains why your marketing needs both short-term sales strategy and long-term brand building. Amanda and Phil also unpack why so many businesses hit a wall when they only focus on immediate conversions, why future demand can be harder to track but impossible to ignore, and why the brands that stay top of mind are usually the ones people buy from when the timing is finally right. If you feel like your ads are slowing down, your audience is not converting, or your marketing is only working when you are actively selling, this episode will help you zoom out and build demand before people are ready to buy. What You’ll Learn ✔ What future demand marketing means and why it matters ✔ Why performance marketing only reaches people who are ready to buy right now ✔ The difference between short-term sales activity and long-term brand building ✔ Why you cannot scale forever by only selling to your existing demand ✔ How brand marketing keeps you top of mind for future customers ✔ Why balancing performance marketing and brand marketing supports long-term growth ✔ Examples of performance marketing, including ads, retargeting, sales emails, and lead magnets ✔ Examples of future demand marketing, including podcasts, founder stories, customer stories, educational content, and community building ✔ Why emotional, memorable content helps people remember your brand ✔ How customer stories can build trust when your audience is not ready to buy yet ✔ Why only showing up when you are selling can weaken your results ✔ How to audit your marketing and see whether you are over-relying on performance content ✔ Why your future customers need to hear from you before they are ready to purchase 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

  6. Jun 23

    Leaving Corporate for Entrepreneurship: Phil Ginther on One Year of Business Ownership

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda sits down with co-host, husband, and Grind Media Group partner Phil Ginther to celebrate his one-year anniversary of leaving corporate life and stepping into entrepreneurship. In this honest, funny, and very real conversation, Amanda grills Phil on what it actually felt like to walk away from a 15-year corporate career, rebuild his relationship with risk, and become a business owner after years of steady paycheques, office politics, and doing work for someone else’s bottom line. They talk about fear, freedom, money, marriage, working together, building a YouTube division from the ground up, and the surprising ways entrepreneurship has changed Phil’s health, mindset, confidence, and day-to-day life. If you have ever wondered what it really looks like to leave corporate and build something of your own, this episode is a reminder that the unknown can be terrifying, but it can also lead you back to yourself. What You’ll Learn ✔ What it really feels like to leave a long-term corporate career and become an entrepreneur ✔ Why fear and excitement can feel almost identical when you are making a major life change ✔ The biggest differences between being an employee and owning part of a business ✔ Why corporate stability can feel safe, but still leave you feeling stuck, disconnected, or miserable ✔ How entrepreneurship changes your relationship with time, money, risk, and security ✔ What Phil brought to Grind Media Group from his background in creative production and mass marketing ✔ How Amanda and Phil work together as business partners, spouses, and very different thinkers ✔ Why ambition does not have to come at the expense of your health, family, or freedom ✔ How small decisions compound into new opportunities, revenue streams, and business growth ✔ What Phil would tell his corporate self after one year on the other side 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

  7. Jun 9

    Influencer Marketing Strategy: Dos, Don’ts, and Common Mistakes

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda is joined by Chelsea Clark, founder and CEO of Momfluence, to break down what brands get wrong about influencer marketing and what actually makes creator partnerships work. From unrealistic expectations and one-post “magic” thinking to budgets, briefs, affiliate offers, mom creators, micro-influencers, and why smaller communities often convert better than massive followings, this episode is a no-fluff conversation for brands that want to work with influencers without wasting money. Amanda and Chelsea talk about why influencer marketing is really about content, trust, retargeting, brand awareness, and long-term relationships, not instant sellouts from one post. If you are a product-based business, service provider, or founder trying to figure out how to approach creators, pitch properly, set a realistic budget, and build partnerships that actually make sense, this episode is your reality check. What You’ll Learn ✔ Why influencers are not magicians and one post will not usually sell out your product  ✔ What brands should actually expect from influencer marketing campaigns  ✔ Why impressions, story clicks, and reusable content matter more than vanity metrics  ✔ How to choose the right creators for your brand, audience, and campaign goals  ✔ Why micro-influencers and smaller creators often create stronger, more authentic content  ✔ What not to do when pitching influencers, including Gmail pitches and affiliate-only offers  ✔ How much brands should realistically budget for influencer marketing  ✔ Why long-term creator partnerships usually outperform one-off sponsored posts  ✔ How to think about influencer content, paid ads, retargeting, and brand awareness together  ✔ Why going briefless can sometimes lead to better, more natural creator 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. Meet Our Guest Chelsea Clark is the founder and CEO of Momfluence, a leading influencer marketing agency that specializes in mom creator-led campaigns for family, lifestyle, and consumer brands. With a deep understanding of the modern mom consumer, Chelsea helps brands build trust, relevance, and measurable growth through authentic creator partnerships across North America. Learn more at www.momfluence.co or follow along on Instagram at @momfluence.co. — 📱 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

  8. May 26

    Visibility Fatigue and Self-Doubt: Why Showing Up Online Feels So Hard for Women in Business

    This week on Marketing Sucks, Amanda is joined by award-winning psychotherapist Natacha Pennycooke for a real conversation about visibility fatigue, self-doubt, comparison, and the emotional cost of constantly showing up online. They unpack why being visible as an entrepreneur can feel so draining, especially when social media makes it look like everyone else is growing faster, doing more, and living some effortless “soft life.” From comparisonitis and nervous system overload to boundaries, burnout, and redefining success on your own terms, this episode is a much-needed reminder that building a business should not require shrinking yourself or abandoning your mental health. If you know you need to be visible but feel emotionally exhausted, this conversation is your permission slip to pause, recalibrate, and come back in a way that actually feels like you. What You’ll Learn ✔ What visibility fatigue actually looks like for entrepreneurs  ✔ Why showing up online can feel emotionally exhausting, not just physically tiring  ✔ The difference between normal nervousness and chronic self-doubt  ✔ How comparisonitis impacts confidence, creativity, and business growth  ✔ Why the “soft life” narrative can create unrealistic pressure for women entrepreneurs  ✔ How to redefine success based on your own life, energy, values, and goals  ✔ Why playing small costs you, your business, and the people who need your work  ✔ What to do when you know you need to be visible but feel completely drained 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. Meet Our Guest Natacha Pennycooke is a leader in workplace mental health and safety, a mindset coach, and an award-winning psychotherapist. With over 13 years of experience, she is the CEO of Natacha Pennycooke Psychotherapy, a private group practice supporting individuals, couples, families, and youth 16+ through trauma, anxiety, depression, fear, self-doubt, and the mental health impacts of racialization and marginalization. Her work is guided by an anti-oppressive, healing-focused, trauma-informed, anti-racism lens and racial justice framework. Learn more at www.natachapennycooke.com or follow along on Instagram at @natachapennycooke.therapy. — 📱 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

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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
    118
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Marketing Sucks
  • Show Website
    Marketing Sucks