Marketing Mentality

Narratent Digital Marketing
  • 5.0 (4)
  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Marketing Mentality is a revolutionary platform for curious thinkers, hustlers, and anyone building something brick by brick. We’re blending the business of marketing, advertising, and branding into an audio and video masterclass experience.

  1. JAN 12

    The Truth About Working in Sports Marketing w/ Nia Robinson

    How do you pivot from a law school path into a successful career in sports, media, and marketing? In this episode of Marketing Mentality, we sit down with Nia Robinson, a creative strategist whose work spans sports marketing, brand partnerships, and media strategy, including experience with Google, YouTube, and the WNBA’s Chicago Sky. Nia breaks down what a creative strategist actually does, how she navigated a non-linear career path, and why execution matters more than advice when breaking into competitive industries like sports and media. We also explore the rapid growth of women’s sports, brand sponsorship strategy, creative leadership, and what aspiring marketers need to focus on right now. Whether you’re a student, career switcher, or creative looking to level up, this conversation offers practical insight, real-world lessons, and honest career guidance. 00:00 – Knowing Your “Why” & Being Yourself 03:00 – Meet Nia Robinson + Her Career Background 07:00 – Leaving the Law Track & Early Career Cartwheels 12:00 – What a Creative Strategist Actually Does 17:30 – Career Setbacks, Pressure & Learning the Hard Way 22:30 – The State of Women’s Sports & WNBA Growth 27:30 – Sports Marketing, Sponsorships & Brand Alignment 32:30 – Breaking Into Sports & Media (Real Advice) 37:30 – Visibility, Mentorship & Personal Branding 42:30 – Social Media, Content Creation & Final Career Lessons ------------------- Let's Stay Connected: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmentalitypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingmentalitypod Our Digital Marketing Agency: https://www.narratent.com

    47 min

  2. JAN 5

    How to Use Real Estate to Replace Your 9-5 Income w/ Nate Randle

    In this episode of the Marketing Mentality Podcast, Nate Randle shares how he built long-term wealth through real estate investing while still working a 9–5. From buying his first FHA property to scaling a portfolio of 30+ rental units, Nate breaks down the mindset, strategy, and patience required to win in real estate without chasing hype. If you’re interested in real estate for beginners, using a 9–5 to fund investments, or building generational wealth through rental properties, this episode delivers real-world game you can apply immediately. ------------------- Let's Stay Connected: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmentalitypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingmentalitypod Our Digital Marketing Agency: https://www.narratent.com

    1h 13m

  3. 10/15/2025

    Why Conferences Aren’t Working for You (And How to Fix It)

    In this episode of Marketing Mentality, co-hosts Desmon and Allen unpack the growing discourse around major Black conferences like CultureCon 2025, Invest Fest, AfroTech, and others. As both attendees and planners, they share their behind-the-scenes perspective on what really goes into making these conferences successful—and what attendees often miss. They break down how to prepare, network strategically, and follow up effectively so you actually benefit from these events. From the realities of event logistics to the impact of sponsor expectations and attendee preparation, this episode is a must-watch for business professionals, marketers, creatives, and entrepreneurs navigating today's event space. 0:00 – Intro & Personal Updates 6:04 – CultureCon, Invest Fest & Black Conference Discourse 9:03 – What’s the Purpose of a Conference? 15:00 – Prepping to Maximize Your Conference ROI 21:05 – The Power of Post-Event Follow-Up 29:02 – Essence Fest Breakdown: What Went Wrong 36:14 – The Real Cost of Conference Production 43:01 – Are We Giving Black Events Grace? 49:05 – Final Thoughts: ROI, Intentions & Building Your Own Space ------------------- Let's Stay Connected: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marketingmentalitypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@marketingmentalitypod Our Digital Marketing Agency: https://www.narratent.com

    53 min

  4. 10/06/2025

    THESE Steps Led to His Dream Job at Live Nation - Jailon Welch

    In this episode of Marketing Mentality, we sit down with Jailon Welch — our youngest guest ever — who went from intern to industry insider, now thriving at Live Nation and building his own brand, Don’t Blink. Jailon shares how faith, manifestation, and resilience helped him overcome rejection, pivot careers, and build lasting industry relationships. Whether you're a college grad, aspiring marketer, or creative hustler, this episode is packed with real-life lessons, networking gems, and career growth strategies. 00:25 – Youngest Guest on the Show: Jailon Welch’s Introduction 02:15 – Manifesting Opportunities: From Internship to Downtown Office 08:00 – Betting on Yourself: Switching Sports & Career Direction 13:00 – Finding Purpose After College: How Passion Finds You 21:25 – Creating a Role at Live Nation: How Rejection Turned Into Opportunity 31:30 – The Power of Relationships in the Entertainment Industry 43:35 – Don’t Blink: Building a Brand with Purpose 47:50 – Approaching Industry Giants: Humility, Timing & Elevator Pitches

    58 min

  5. 09/22/2025

    Mr. Overqualified: Creativity, Culture, and Building Legacies w/ Lewis Williams

    In this episode of Marketing Mentality, hosts Desmon Walker and Allen Shelton sit down with legendary creative Lewis Williams. From his early days at Leo Burnett to leading Burrell Communications and founding Williams Creative Group, Lewis reflects on decades shaping culture through advertising. He shares lessons on creativity, cultural authenticity, and the evolution of Black influence in the industry—from Soul Train to the Super Bowl . Packed with wisdom, stories, and inspiration, this conversation is a masterclass for anyone passionate about marketing, creativity, and legacy. Timestamps 0:00 – Standing on the shoulders of creative giants 0:24 – Honoring pioneers who paved the way in advertising 0:51 – Hosts introduce Lewis Williams to the conversation 1:17 – Lewis’ career across top agencies and global brands 2:11 – The Louis Williams story is still being written 2:53 – Every new door opens another creative opportunity 4:00 – Forward-thinking while carrying wisdom from the past 4:27 – Defining creativity as a deeply personal expression 5:15 – Talent, influence, and connecting life’s creative dots 6:45 – Leading Burrell Communications and multicultural agency history 8:07 – Chicago’s legacy of pioneering Black-owned ad agencies 9:21 – Discovering cultural pride and creative identity at Burrell 11:14 – General market versus multicultural agency positioning explained 13:00 – Leading with cultural insights as a Burrell philosophy 14:39 – Hip hop’s explosion and influence on global culture 16:46 – Hip hop: making something powerful out of nothing 19:02 – Corporate America embraces Black culture for mainstream growth 20:19 – Challenges as larger agencies hire away Black talent 22:08 – Cultural tourism versus authenticity in creative strategy 23:25 – Protecting culture through business-driven creative strategies 25:36 – Advice for young creatives entering agencies today 27:07 – Why studying the industry matters more than execution 29:06 – Thinkers versus doers: importance of concept over execution 30:00 – Lewis’ career journey to Chief Creative Officer role 31:26 – Learning collaboration: everything in advertising is media 33:04 – Becoming more than creative—being a marketer at heart 35:15 – Don’t give solutions, discover the real problem first 36:03 – Working with brands through ups, downs, and reinvention 39:02 – Big brands fall, rebound, and adapt to change 41:02 – Why pickleball in ads has been overused 42:26 – Super Bowl ads: safe trends versus bold branding 43:25 – Staying true to brand identity during the Super Bowl 45:31 – Making lasting impressions through authentic storytelling 46:52 – Influencer culture as the new year-round Super Bowl

    1h 7m

  6. 09/22/2025

    Marketing Mentality Podcast Ep 08: Scaling Sip + Savor Coffee House

    Marketing Mentality

    1h 25m

  7. 09/08/2025

    The Underdog Mentality is a Business Advantage - w/ Jason DaWayne Smith

    Jason Smith, Principal of BetterCo Ventures, talks artificial intelligence, advertising, and entrepreneurship with Desmon Walker and Allen Shelton. During this episode Jason breaks down how challenge brands and agencies must position themselves to be contenders with big companies. 01:02 – Jason shares his background & Chicago roots 03:19 – Athlete mindset in business 05:09 – Adaptability & embracing discomfort 06:05 – Advertising at a breaking point 07:09 – Industry disruptors & AI introduction 08:30 – RFP process explained 09:01 – Costs of proposals & barriers for agencies 10:05 – Role of talent & mundane tasks 11:12 – Fear of AI vs. learning to use it 13:00 – Innovation hesitations (electricity, cars, AI) 15:06 – Applying small improvements like Nike 16:32 – Agencies: small & nimble vs. large & slow 17:19 – Pharma, retail, CPG opportunities 21:00 – Shifts in pharma, CPG, retail industries 24:16 – Dynamic pricing explained 28:52 – Consumer impact of dynamic pricing 33:08 – Agency vs. in-house debate 36:12 – Operational challenges & talent shift 39:02 – How small agencies compete with big players 41:13 – Specialization over generalization 43:12 – Passion, hunger, and equity in partnerships 46:01 – Sports branding & athlete brand deals 48:51 – Jason on traditional brands (Best Buy example) 50:03 – What’s next: future vision (6–12 months) 54:00 – Building culture: shots, underdogs, collaboration 57:04 – Mindset: taking shots & risk appetite 59:00 – Advice to the next Jason Smith

    1h 3m

  8. 07/22/2025

    Building Narratent Studios - What is Rebranding Actually?

    On this episode of Marketing Mentality, the duo unveils their brand-new Chicago studio built for creators and shares the journey of launching a creative hub for the community.They break down what it really takes to rebrand a nonprofit organization, dive into cultural marketing lessons from Red Lobster, and share behind-the-scenes stories of campaigns for Bevel and Gillette. From scaling their agency to mentoring the next generation of talent, Allen and Desmon bring you raw, real conversations about creativity, culture, and building something bigger than yourself.This episode explores how to connect brands with culture, the importance of content creation for every business, and the power of giving back through internships and community initiatives. 00:00:00 – Back in action: the hosts return to the podcast after a break 00:00:14 – Launching their own studio for creators and the community 00:01:06 – Why content production is vital for any business today 00:01:50 – Announcing the studio’s open house event in Chicago 00:03:14 – Reflecting on their break and recent behind-the-scenes work 00:04:15 – Lessons from rebranding a Chicago nonprofit organization 00:06:00 – Breaking down what a rebrand really means (beyond logos) 00:07:29 – Comparing a rebrand to a home renovation process 00:08:59 – Lessons from Red Lobster’s seafood boil rebrand and strategy 00:10:16 – Social listening: how Red Lobster adapted quickly to feedback 00:12:32 – The impact of having a culturally intelligent CEO at Red Lobster 00:14:04 – How large-scale events rely on corporate sponsorships 00:16:28 – Connecting brand campaigns with culture at the WayMaker Summit 00:17:52 – Crafting the “Greatness Never Fades” campaign with Bevel 00:20:05 – Gillette’s challenge to resonate with Black consumers 00:21:08 – Using education and authenticity in marketing campaigns 00:23:28 – Why storytelling rooted in culture resonates deeply 00:25:21 – Taking on D1 Sports and the nuances of branding franchises 00:27:40 – Giving back through internships and mentoring young talent 00:30:28 – What’s next: deeper conversations and engaging the community

    35 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
4 Ratings

About

Marketing Mentality is a revolutionary platform for curious thinkers, hustlers, and anyone building something brick by brick. We’re blending the business of marketing, advertising, and branding into an audio and video masterclass experience.

Information

  • Creator
    Narratent Digital Marketing
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    20
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Show Website
    Marketing Mentality