The Visual Marketing Podcast

Liz Slade (C i Marketing)
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  • Marketing
  • Biweekly

Brought to you by C i Marketing. Exploring how to show up consistently, be more visible, and connect with the right people through your marketing.

  1. 4d ago

    Are You Showcasing the Wrong Part of Your Business?

    Send us Fan Mail Most businesses photograph and film the finished job and stop there. In this solo episode, Liz explains why that is only a fraction of what your images could be doing, and what to show instead so that a stranger can see who you really are before they ever get in touch. To make the point, Liz shares the story of a fence company she photographs regularly. Some of her best work for them has nothing to do with fences at all. It is the barbecues they put on for tradies on work sites, and Liz explains why those photos might be the most valuable images they own. Liz also shares how her photography journey began as a 17 year old working in a camera store, how she watched the shift from film to digital, and what that taught her about the way people react to new technology like AI. Then she gets practical, with a clear process you can use whether you are shooting it yourself or briefing a professional. In this episode you will hear about Why a barbecue on a work site is such a memorable marketing activation, and why photographing it mattersThe four stories your imagery can tell: your people, your process, your relationships and your valuesWhy service based businesses find imagery the hardest, and how to show what sits behind the workA simple shot list covering the people doing the work, customer interactions, process details, value moments, your place and the finished resultWhere stock and AI images fit, where they fall short, and how to blend them with real photos so everything still feels like one brandWhy Liz believes most of your photos should be taken on your own phone, plus her top tips: shoot vertical and horizontal, and always clean your lens firstWhen to book a professional shoot, and why every six to twelve months keeps your image library freshA story from the book The Visual Sale about a swimming pool salesperson and a little boy who answered the door Your homework Open the social platform you post on most and look at your last ten photos or videos. How many include a person? If it is fewer than half, go and photograph your people. Need help working out what to shoot? Grab the phone photography guide at cimarketing.co.nz. You can use it for your own phone shoots or as a brief for a professional photographer. Liz would love to see what you try. Tag her or send through your photos so she can celebrate with you. Listen and watch For more episodes, visit thevisualmarketingpodcast.com The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing. Connect with C i Marketing Website: https://cimarketing.co.nz www.debutwebsites.co.nz  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cimarketing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cimarketing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CIMKTG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.i.marketing.nz

  2. Oct 20

    Authentic Identity Is Your Last Competitive Advantage

    Send us Fan Mail There are conversations you have as a podcast host, and then there are conversations that change things for you personally. This is one of those. In episode 14, Liz sits down with Michael King, executive coach, keynote speaker, founder of Teams.coach, and the person she credits as having the biggest influence on her business and on her as a person this year. Michael is based in Omaha, Nebraska, has two master’s degrees including one in executive coaching, has worked with organisations including Disney, Pfizer and Social Media Examiner, and was named one of the best executive coaches in both 2025 and 2026. He also hosts The Level Up Leader podcast. But this is not a standard guest interview. Michael is Liz’s own coach. So what you are hearing in this episode is both sides of a real coaching relationship, with all the honesty that comes with that. They talk about Michael’s journey from church music and ministry into executive coaching, why he believes authentic identity is our last competitive advantage, and why in his framework strategy always comes last. They get into what executive coaching actually is and how to tell the difference between a legitimate coach and someone who bought a course on a weekend, why most people do not know what their own success actually looks like, and what happens when a business owner finally gets out of their own way. Liz also shares how she went from someone who would never have considered working with a coach to someone whose business and mindset have shifted significantly in six months. And they talk about Debut Websites, the product that came out of that journey, and why it exists. If you are a small business owner who has ever felt like you were running hard but not getting anywhere, or a driven person who just cannot quite put their finger on what is holding them back, this episode is for you. Find Michael at MichaelKingJr.com and check out his new leadership film Irreplaceable and his EP Season One, both dropping around the time this episode goes live. Find out more about Debut Websites at debutwebsites.co.nz Connect with C i Marketing at connect@cimarketing.co.nz thevisualmarketingpodcast.com

    Authentic Identity Is Your Last Competitive Advantage

  3. Oct 5

    The Website Problem Nobody Is Talking About (And How We Finally Fixed It)

    Send us Fan Mail There is a moment that happens in the C i Marketing office more often than Liz would like. A small business owner comes in for a coffee. They are passionate, they are talented, they have something genuinely brilliant to offer the world. The conversation is electric. And then it turns to websites, and the light goes out. Because the options available to them right now are either a DIY template that takes weeks, looks like everyone else's, and still does not do what a real business website needs to do, or a full agency website that costs thousands of dollars they simply do not have yet. Nothing in between that is actually built properly. That heartbreaking moment is what Liz and the team have been trying to solve for a very long time. In this episode, Liz sits down with C i Marketing copywriter and strategist Emily Cook, a familiar face from episode three, to talk about what they have finally built to fix it. Debut Websites is a brand new website platform created specifically for New Zealand small businesses and startups who need a proper, strategic, professionally built website at a price that actually works for where they are right now. They cover why having a website matters more than most people think, including the fact that a properly set up website actually makes your Google and Meta ads cheaper. They walk through everything Debut includes, from a multi-page structure and SEO and AEO optimisation to copywriting, brand creation, stock images, booking system integration, contact forms, monthly analytics, and a simple backend you can manage yourself. And they share the full pricing, including a launch offer available for the first thirty websites only. Liz also shares three practical tips for taking better photos on your phone, because great visual content does not always require a professional photographer. If you are a small business owner or startup who has ever felt like good marketing was out of reach, this episode is for you. And the good news is, it is not out of reach anymore. Find out more and get started at www.debutwebsites.co.nz Connect with C i Marketing at connect@cimarketing.co.nz thevisualmarketingpodcast.com

    The Website Problem Nobody Is Talking About (And How We Finally Fixed It)

  4. Sep 23 ·  Bonus

    "Different Is Not Weakness": ADHD, Autism and Work with Billie Lawson - Part Two

    Send us Fan Mail Welcome back to part two of this conversation with Billie Lawson on neurodivergency in the workplace. If you haven't listened to part one yet, go back and start there. In this half, Liz and Billie tackle the big objection head on: "well, if you get that accommodation, then everyone would want it." And honestly? What's so bad about that. They talk about why measuring output instead of hours changes everything, the double standard where a neurotypical person's mistake gets brushed off but a neurodivergent person's gets treated as an excuse, and Billie's brilliant hiking poles analogy that reframes what accommodations actually are. Then things get really interesting. Billie explains stimming, breaks down why open ended instructions like "just use your judgment" send her into a quiet internal panic, and shares the sayings she's only recently decoded, including why "I didn't sleep last night" doesn't mean what she thought it meant. There's a whole section on how differently brains can work, from vivid visual thinking to internal monologues, that will have you questioning how your own head operates. It all lands on one simple piece of advice for every employer, manager and colleague listening: different is not weakness. In this episode: Why accommodations that help neurodivergent people actually benefit everyoneMeasuring work by output, not hours, and why supported employees do better workThe double standard around mistakes, and what "it's an explanation, not an excuse" really meansThe hiking poles analogy: capable doesn't mean unsupportedWhat stimming is and what it looks like day to dayWhy "just use your judgment" is the hardest instruction Billie can receive, and how she handled it anywayThe everyday sayings that don't mean what they literally say, from "the dishwasher needs doing" to "casual dress code"Visual thinking, internal monologues, and how differently our brains actually workBillie's advice for neurotypical people: a different way of working doesn't take away from someone's valueAnd keep an ear out for the new product Liz mentions mid episode. That's Debut, and it's live now. Details below. Find out more at www.thevisualmarketingpodcast.com The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing, a Christchurch based agency specialising in visual marketing for service based businesses. Visit www.cimarketing.co.nz or find us on socials: Facebook: facebook.com/cimarketing  Instagram: instagram.com/cimarketing  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing Have you been putting off getting your business online because it all feels too hard? Debut websites is here! It's our new starter website service built for Kiwi businesses who just need to show up online without the big agency price tag. See www.debutwebsites.co.nz and use the code PLUSONE at final checkout (after choosing your pages) to add an extra page worth $100 + GST on us.

    "Different Is Not Weakness": ADHD, Autism and Work with Billie Lawson - Part Two

  5. Sep 23

    Neurodivergency in the Workplace with Billie Lawson - Part One

    Send us Fan Mail This episode is a little different, and it might be one of the most important conversations we've had on the show. Billie is our Photographer at C i Marketing, she also works for Liz's other business; Cirrus International and she's also autistic and has ADHD. In part one of this two part conversation, she opens up about what neurodivergency actually looks like day to day, and what it means for the workplace. We get stuck into what masking is and why it's so exhausting, why autistic burnout is completely different to regular burnout, and how a simple accommodation like noise cancelling headphones changed everything at a previous job. Billie also shares the pattern she noticed at every workplace before this one, hitting a wall around the eighteen month mark, and what finally broke that cycle. If you're a business owner, a manager, or you work with people at all, this one will change how you think. Because the things that look like red flags on paper might actually be your next best hire. In this episode: What neurodivergency actually means, and Billie's own journey to her ADHD and autism diagnosesWhat it's like to think about ten things at once, all the timeMasking, what it is, how it works, and why it leads to burnoutWhy autistic burnout is not the same as regular burnout, and what recovery really takesThe accommodation that cost nothing and made all the differenceWhy the school system sets ADHD kids up to feel like bad studentsThe real strengths neurodivergent people bring to a team, from creativity under pressure to pattern recognition and attention to detailWhy "I can't do it yet" from a neurodivergent employee might mean something completely different to what you thinkPart two of this conversation is coming in the next episode, so stay tuned. Find out more at www.thevisualmarketingpodcast.com The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing, a Christchurch based agency specialising in visual marketing for service based businesses. Visit www.cimarketing.co.nz or find us on socials: Facebook: facebook.com/cimarketing  Instagram: instagram.com/cimarketing  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing Have you been putting off getting your business online because it all feels too hard? Debut websites is here! It's our new starter website service built for Kiwi businesses who just need to show up online without the big agency price tag. See www.debutwebsites.co.nz and use the code PLUSONE at final checkout (after choosing your pages) to add an extra page worth $100 + GST on us.

    Neurodivergency in the Workplace with Billie Lawson - Part One

  6. Sep 9

    Inheriting a Legend's Legacy and the Learning Curve That Came With It. With Jahan Pitcorn

    Send us Fan Mail When Liz's father Laurie Hogg passed away in November 2018, he left behind a thriving business, a loyal customer base, and a reputation that still precedes him in the lift and elevator industry to this day. What he did not leave behind was a rulebook. In this episode, Liz sits down with Jahan Pitcorn, General Manager of Cirrus International, the lift components business Liz took on after losing her dad. Jahan came from a career as a senior front-end software engineer. He knew nothing about lifts, components, stock management, or running a product business. What he did know was people. And it turns out, that was exactly what the business needed most. This is a conversation about stepping up when life does not give you a choice, building something real from scratch, and why genuine human connection is still the most powerful business tool there is. In this episode you will hear about: How Liz inherited a business mid-project, with no systems, no handover notes, and an industry full of people who were watching to see if they could pull it off. Why a career in front-end software development turned out to be surprisingly good training for customer service, and the mental flowchart Jahan runs every time the phone rings The relationship philosophy Laurie modelled and how it became the foundation Cirrus International still runs on today How they built sales processes from the ground up, and what they wish they had known from day one What reluctant leadership actually looks like, and why the people who never chase the title are often the ones who are best at it The practical art of remembering the details that make customers feel valued, with real advice for those who find that harder to do naturally Why the best customer service is not about changing who you are, it is about understanding who you are talking to Jahan's story is not one he planned. But eight years on, customers often choose Cirrus International specifically because of him. That is the kind of outcome no marketing budget can manufacture. Visit thevisualmarketingpodcast.com for more episodes. The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing, hosted by Elizabeth Slade. Connect with C i Marketing: Website: cimarketing.co.nz Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cimarketing Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cimarketing LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CIMKTG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.i.marketing.nz

    Inheriting a Legend's Legacy and the Learning Curve That Came With It. With Jahan Pitcorn

  7. Aug 26

    You Do Not Have a Marketing Problem. You Have a Clarity Problem. With Cliff Ravenscraft

    Send us Fan Mail Most people think they have a marketing problem. Cliff Ravenscraft would argue it is a clarity problem. In this episode, Liz sits down with business strategy and mindset coach Cliff Ravenscraft, who spent eight years known as the Podcast Answer Man before making a deliberate decision to shift his focus to business strategy and mindset; the work he found made the biggest difference to the people he was helping. Cliff shares the moment he realised that the podcasters who quit were not quitting because of bad equipment or poor production. They were quitting because they had never gotten clear on what they actually wanted. That clarity problem, he says, shows up everywhere in business, and it is almost always dressed up as something else. They also get into limiting beliefs, the danger of mistaking insight for progress, how to protect your focus in a world designed to destroy it, and the one daily practice that has been a total game changer for Cliff personally. This is a conversation that will make you think differently about what is actually holding you back. Find Cliff at cliffravenscraft.com or connect with him on LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/cliffravenscraft/ If you are interested in his Momentum Mastermind, head to cliffravenscraft.com/momentum www.thevisualmarketingpodcast.com

    You Do Not Have a Marketing Problem. You Have a Clarity Problem. With Cliff Ravenscraft

  8. Aug 12

    Why People Beat Brands on LinkedIn. With Kristian Downer

    Send us Fan Mail Episode 9: Why People Beat Brands on LinkedIn (with Kristian Downer)The Visual Marketing Podcast — brought to you by C i Marketing Show Description LinkedIn is the platform Liz will happily admit still scares her a little — and this episode is her getting stuck into it head-on with someone who knows it inside out. Liz is joined by Kristian Downer, founder of Dow Social, a UK-based agency specialising in B2B LinkedIn ads, all the way from Peterborough. Kristian shares how he niched down from a side-hustle running Twitter for mates to becoming a go-to LinkedIn ads expert for everyone from small consultancies to some of the biggest names in construction and professional services across the UK and Europe. Together they dig into why people beat brands on LinkedIn, the power of thought leader ads, and why 84% of buying decisions are made by people who already know the company they end up working with. Kristian breaks down how to turn your LinkedIn profile into a landing page, what actually belongs on your banner, whether Premium is worth paying for, and how to get your team comfortable stepping in front of the camera without turning it into "congratulations Colin from Accounts, you're our content team now." Whether you're just getting started on LinkedIn or wondering how to make your ad spend work harder, this one is full of practical, real-world advice you can put into action straight away. In This Episode How Kristian built Dow Social by niching down into LinkedIn adsWhy people outperform brands on LinkedIn (and the psychology behind it)The 84% stat: why buyers already know who they want to work withWhat thought leader ads are and how to use them on a small budgetTurning your LinkedIn profile into a landing page — headline, about section, bannerSEO and AEO: why your profile is often the first thing people find when they Google youIs LinkedIn only for big business? (Spoiler: no)A real client case study from the construction industryThe right (and very wrong) way to reach out and build connectionsThe LinkedIn Insight Tag, retargeting, and the LinkedIn Ads LibraryIs LinkedIn Premium worth paying for?How to get your team comfortable being the face of your brand About Kristian Downer Kristian Downer is the founder of Dow Social, a UK-based agency specialising in B2B LinkedIn ads, working with businesses from small consultancies through to some of the largest companies in the UK and Europe — with a particular focus on professional services and construction. Connect with Kristian on LinkedIn (mention you found him through this podcast!) https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristian-downer/ or visit dowsocial.com Connect Find more from The Visual Marketing Podcast and C i Marketing, or wherever you find your favourite podcasts.

    Why People Beat Brands on LinkedIn. With Kristian Downer
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About

Brought to you by C i Marketing. Exploring how to show up consistently, be more visible, and connect with the right people through your marketing.

Information

  • Creator
    Liz Slade (C i Marketing)
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Visual Marketing Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Visual Marketing Podcast