Marketing Espresso

Bec Chappell
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Your easily digestible, quality shot of helpful marketing advice.

  1. 53M AGO

    How to market when times get tough

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I wanted to have a real, honest conversation about what’s actually happening in marketing right now - because let’s be honest, it feels messy. Between rising interest rates, cost of living pressures and tighter spending across the board, many businesses are starting to feel the shift. When products or services are discretionary, we know what tends to happen - people pause, delay or opt out altogether. So naturally, the question becomes: what should we actually be doing with our marketing when things feel uncertain? This episode is all about bringing it back to basics. I talk through why social media is not the silver bullet so many people still believe it is, and how the hype of the past few years has pulled business owners away from the foundations of marketing. Marketing is not one channel, one platform or one tactic. It is a system - and when that system isn’t working together, no amount of posting will fix it. Instead of doing more, this is about doing what actually matters. I share the three areas I always come back to when things feel tight in business. The first is your CRM - understanding who is already in your world, who has shown interest, and where the opportunities already exist. The second is your network - the conversations, referrals and relationships that often drive far more growth than any algorithm ever could. And the third is your current marketing activity - what is actually working, what isn’t, and where your time is being wasted. Because time is the one thing we don’t get back, and too many business owners are spending it in the wrong places. We also go deeper into the reality of social media right now. The overwhelm, the noise, the rise of AI-generated content and the increasing pressure to constantly produce more. I unpack why so many people are stepping away from platforms, and why connection - real, human connection, is becoming more valuable than ever. At its core, marketing has always been about connection. And in a world that feels increasingly automated, filtered and noisy, that matters more than ever. If your marketing feels heavy, confusing or like it’s not working, this episode will help you reset and refocus on what actually moves the needle. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    18 min

  2. MAR 23

    What to send after someone joins your email list with Evelina Kaganovitch

    Send us Fan Mail Email marketing is not dead. In fact, it is one of the most valuable and underused channels in your business. In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I sit down with copywriter and email strategist Evelina Kaganovitch to talk about email sequences, nurture flows and why so many business owners are still overlooking one of the most powerful ways to build connection and drive sales. We dive into why email is often more effective than social media when it comes to attention and conversion, and how it acts as a form of insurance for your business. Unlike social platforms, your email list is something you actually own, which means you are not at the mercy of algorithms, reach drops or account issues. We also break down what a strong email sequence actually looks like, especially if you are just getting started. From lead magnets and opt-ins through to welcome sequences, Evelina shares how to build a flow that nurtures your audience rather than overwhelming them with constant sales messaging. A big part of this conversation is around connection. Your emails should not feel like a funnel that is pushing for a sale at every turn. Instead, they should feel like a conversation. This is where storytelling, personality and simplicity really matter. We also talk about: how to create a lead magnet that people actually wantwhy plain text emails can often outperform highly designed oneshow often you should be emailing your listwhy building trust first leads to stronger conversions laterIf you have ever felt unsure about what to send, how often to show up or how to make your emails feel more like you, this episode will give you a clear place to start. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    25 min

  3. MAR 16

    AI should amplify you, not replace you with Bonnie Wicks

    Send a text In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined again by the brilliant Bonnie Wicks, and we dive straight into a conversation that’s becoming impossible to avoid: the rise of AI in small business and the growing trend of people trying to replace themselves with it. What started as a helpful tool for reducing admin is now being sold as the next miracle shortcut — with AI companies promising everything from three-month holidays to ten-times profit without lifting a finger. It’s seductive, especially for business owners who are overwhelmed, stretched and tired of constantly having to show up. But Bonnie and I unpack why outsourcing yourself is one of the fastest ways to damage your brand. Together, we explore how AI can absolutely make life easier when used ethically — from analysing sales calls to streamlining onboarding — but also how quickly it can start eroding trust when it becomes a stand-in for your personality, your voice, or your presence. We talk about the dangers of AI-generated videos and AI-written scripts, the ick of automated chat replies pretending to be human, and the disconnect that happens when your audience realises it’s not actually you. We share personal stories too, including my own ManyChat mishap that sent completely irrelevant replies to people who genuinely wanted to connect — a perfect example of how automation can unintentionally tell someone you don’t value them. Bonnie and I also talk about why people crave connection more than ever, and why your imperfections, tone, nuance and lived experience can never be replicated by a robot. This episode is a reminder that marketing and sales should never be the first thing you outsource — and in fact, should probably be the last. People buy from people. And in an AI-saturated world, the most human brands are going to stand out. Key takeaways  The more you remove yourself from your brand, the more you dilute trust. AI is powerful, but it becomes damaging when it replaces your personality instead of amplifying it. Connection beats perfection every single time. Your frameworks, your thought leadership and your lived experience are your real intellectual property — and AI can’t replicate that unless you hand it over. And if you’re using automation, transparency matters far more than pretending to be human. Actions you can take  Audit where AI is currently showing up in your brand, and decide whether it’s amplifying you or replacing you. Upload your existing content or frameworks and use AI to enhance, not imitate. Keep yourself in your marketing and make sure that your sales conversations still involve you. If you use automation, be upfront about it. And most importantly, protect the parts of your brand that only you can bring. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    28 min

  4. MAR 9

    Enhancing Your Award Entries with AI with Heather Marano

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined again by Heather from Green Door Co., and we dive into a question so many business owners are asking right now: Should I use AI to write my award submissions? With everyone leaning heavily on AI for content, it’s natural to assume it could also take care of something as time-consuming as award entries. But as Heather explains, award submissions are a completely different beast — and relying on AI without understanding what it can and can’t do could cost you valuable opportunities. Heather shares what she’s seeing across the awards landscape: a huge wave of AI-generated entries that are generic, flat and immediately obvious to judges. And while judges won’t outright reject an entry just because AI was involved, they can see when the submission lacks depth, nuance and genuine personality. The result? Those entries rarely make it to finalist stage, let alone win. We talk about why award submissions require a very particular kind of writing — part storytelling, part evidence-based persuasion — and why AI struggles with that structure on its own. Heather breaks down the reality that if you want AI to help, you still need to provide extensive detail, emotional context, examples, statistics and a clear narrative. It won’t magically create that for you. We also unpack the misconception that AI saves time. What actually happens is the time simply shifts: instead of writing, you’re spending hours crafting detailed prompts and then editing the output to make it sound human, consistent and aligned with the award criteria. In many cases, it’s the same amount of work — sometimes more — and if you’re entering an award with an entry fee attached, taking shortcuts becomes an expensive gamble. Where AI can be helpful is in refining your writing once you’ve done the heavy lifting. You can use it to tidy your tone, help with structure or polish your clarity — but only if your storytelling, emotion and evidence are solid to begin with. At the heart of this conversation is a reminder that award submissions are more than just a form you fill out. They’re one of the most public expressions of your brand. Even if the submission isn’t published, influential judges are reading it. Industry leaders are evaluating it. Your brand is being held to a high standard. And if the quality isn’t something you’d proudly share, it’s probably not something that will win. Heather also gives us a sneak peek into the custom AI tool she and her team are building — one trained specifically on award-writing methodology — designed to support DIYers without sacrificing quality. It blends the efficiency of AI with the nuance of expert award strategy, and it’s set to launch later this year. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    20 min

  5. MAR 2

    Leads won't save your business With Sim Kaur

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined once again by the brilliant Simran Kaur, and we dive straight into one of the biggest misconceptions in the business world: the idea that leads alone will fix everything. It’s the belief so many business owners cling to — that more leads mean more revenue, more stability and more growth. But as Sim and I unpack, that thinking completely overlooks how marketing actually works. Sim talks about leads from a full-funnel perspective, and why so many people obsess over the bottom of the funnel while ignoring the work that needs to happen long before someone is ready to buy. If you’re only focused on the moment a person enquires, you’re missing the bigger picture entirely. Awareness, consideration, education and brand memory are the building blocks that lead to strong conversions, and yet those pieces are often skipped because they take time and don’t deliver instant gratification. We also explore the impatience that so many business owners are feeling. Social media has created a culture where people expect immediate ROI, instant sales and fast results — but marketing isn’t designed to move at that pace. And when you’re changing your message every week, pivoting constantly or rewriting your offer every time you feel bored, you’re not speeding things up. You’re restarting the clock. Every shift resets your momentum, and the market barely has a chance to understand what you do before you’ve already changed direction. Sim and I share real-life examples of why brand building and consistent storytelling make such a significant difference to long-term growth. People buy emotionally, even when they think they don’t. A smell, a memory, a jingle, a feeling — these are the tiny cues that sit in our subconscious and influence what we pick up off a shelf or who we choose to trust online. AI can support our work, but it will never replace emotional nuance. It can’t read body language, interpret subtle meaning or understand why certain phrases make people sit up straighter in their chair. And that’s why strategy always needs humans behind it. This conversation is really a reminder that marketing is a long game. It’s strategic. It’s layered. It’s about earning trust over time rather than hunting for a quick win. When you build a strong brand, the right leads show up — and not just in volume, but in quality. Those are the leads that convert with ease because the groundwork has already been done. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    32 min

  6. FEB 23

    The real power of networking with Quinn Palmer

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined again by the brilliant and completely addictive-to-talk-to Quinn Palmer. This conversation picks up right where we left off, diving deeper into a shift we’re both seeing across Australia and beyond: people are craving real human connection again. After years of tech reliance, remote everything and a pandemic that had most of us glued to our phones while drinking wine on a Tuesday, something has changed. Quinn describes it as history repeating itself. After every major rise in technology, we eventually swing back to wanting to be around actual humans. And we’re seeing it everywhere — sold out in-person events, social clubs popping up, dating events overflowing, run clubs thriving and communities rebuilding themselves from the ground up. It’s a movement, and for marketers, it’s a sign. Networking is no longer the old-school corporate handshake or a race to collect business cards. It’s becoming friend-making, connection-building and community-led growth. Quinn talks about how much more powerful networking becomes when you stop approaching it with an agenda and start showing up like a human being. Because the truth is, people buy from people. If you want real brand loyalty and trust, there’s nothing more effective than genuine conversations. We discuss why the old KPI-driven, transactional networking style doesn’t work anymore, and how approaching events with curiosity — not desperation — completely changes your outcomes. Quinn also shares stories about relationships that turned into opportunities years later, reminding us that the impact of networking isn’t always instant. Sometimes it’s three months later. Sometimes it’s three years. And sometimes, it’s simply the ripple effect of being someone memorable to talk to. The biggest theme that shows up again and again in this chat is that networking sits at the very foundation of your entire marketing ecosystem. It’s not an optional extra. It’s not a “nice to have”. It’s where brand reputation, partnerships, referrals and long-term trust are built. As Quinn says beautifully, if marketing is about people, then you need to actually start with the people. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    26 min

  7. FEB 16

    How to plan your next event With Jodie McLean

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I sit down with event strategist Jodie McLean from JEM Events to unpack something that looks simple on the surface but quickly becomes overwhelming once you start: planning an event that people genuinely want to attend. Jodie takes us right back to the beginning — before venues, speakers or save-the-dates — and walks me through the four pillars she calls the brief: your outcomes, your audience, your budget and your non-negotiables. Without these, you’re essentially planning blind. We talk openly about the current trend towards smaller, more targeted events, and why they often outperform big, generic conferences. Jodie explains how specificity leads to connection, and why ego-driven decisions (like wanting a room full of hundreds) often work against the true purpose of an event. Once you understand who the event is for and why it matters, you can build out the event concept: the theme, the name, the timing and the location. Jodie shares why it’s important not to rush this stage, why a vague concept leads to low conversions, and why giving people too little information too early kills momentum. We also explore what it takes to market an event well. Jodie highlights the problem with announcing too soon, why drip-feeding information rarely works and how to time a campaign so you avoid the dreaded lag in sales. And yes — we also touch on hybrid events. Jodie shares her unfiltered view on why hybrid formats almost always compromise both the in-person and online experience, unless you have a serious budget and a specialised team. We finish with a discussion about preparing for event day, delegating properly and making sure your suppliers are fully briefed — especially when you’re the one your audience is there to see. Key takeaways  Understanding your outcomes and audience is the foundation of every successful event. If you skip this step, everything downstream becomes harder. Specificity is your greatest advantage; niche events outperform broad ones because people crave relevance. Don’t announce an event too early without key details — people make up their mind quickly and won’t revisit it later. Hybrid events sound appealing but often dilute the overall experience. On event day, delegate more than you think you need to. You can’t be the host, organiser and talent all at once. Actions to take  Document your outcomes, audience, budget and non-negotiables before doing anything else. Develop a clear event concept with a strong theme and compelling name. Launch with full information rather than a vague teaser. Automate your post-event feedback survey to go out immediately. Build support around you so you’re not juggling operational tasks on the day. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    20 min

  8. FEB 9

    Can we stop with the boring content.. please? With Michelle J Raymond

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Marketing Espresso, I’m joined again by the brilliant Michelle J. Raymond, and honestly, every time we chat, it could go on for hours. This conversation dives into something we both feel strongly about – why being “professional” on LinkedIn is often code for being boring, and how that mindset is quietly killing your brand. Michelle and I talk about the flood of same-same content that’s taken over LinkedIn – those templated posts, over-branded graphics and AI-generated captions that strip out the human element. We unpack how brands and individuals can stand out instead, by showing personality, sharing stories with substance, and creating content that actually connects. We also explore the psychology behind why so many people feel the pressure to conform online. From comparisonitis and imposter syndrome to the influence of “success templates” that promise engagement but deliver none, we talk about how easy it is to lose your voice when you’re busy trying to fit in. What I love most about this chat is Michelle’s perspective on embracing what makes you different – whether it’s your voice, your quirks, your point of view, or even your accent. Because at the end of the day, your audience can only connect with you if they can actually see you. Key takeaways:  True connection on LinkedIn comes from authenticity, not perfection. The more you play it safe, the more invisible your brand becomes. Your audience doesn’t want to engage with another corporate-sounding robot – they want to connect with people who sound human, have opinions, and bring something real to the conversation. Actions to take:  Take a look at your last few posts. Do they sound like you? If not, rewrite one in your real voice – the same tone you’d use in conversation. Strip back the templates, skip the jargon, and tell a story that matters. And if you’re relying heavily on AI, remember it’s a tool, not a storyteller. Your personality is your biggest marketing asset – use it. DOWNLOAD MY CONTENT PLANNER - https://becchappell.com.au/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

    25 min
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About

Your easily digestible, quality shot of helpful marketing advice.

Information

  • Creator
    Bec Chappell
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    410
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Marketing Espresso
  • Show Website
    Marketing Espresso

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