In this episode, we ditch Marketing Mindset and launch For the Daring Growth Seekers.

Marketing in the AI era stays front and centre, but now you also get the unfiltered story of building an agency as a married team.

This is your go-to show for ambitious leaders in Australia and New Zealand who want clear, actionable marketing strategies and honest conversations about the real journey behind building a business with purpose.

🎙️ Each week, we bring you two types of episodes:

• [Strategy]: Tactical episodes packed with AI-smart marketing advice, brand clarity, and our proven Marketing Blend™ framework.

• [Off Mic]: Raw, behind-the-scenes episodes where we share what it’s really like to grow a business together — the decisions, challenges, and dynamics most leaders don’t talk about.

Every episode is rooted in our values: inspiring curiosity, daring growth, and passionate dedication.

Episode timeline
00:00 Intro and big news
00:29 Meet Jacqueline + direction shift
01:18 Why we dropped the old name
02:25 The three-value filter
03:21 Behind the scenes at Done By Nine
11:42 Next-episode preview

Join the entire Done By Nine team - Jordan, Jac, Renee, Aarti, and Flynn - for a special anniversary episode celebrating five years in business!

In this roundtable discussion, the team reflects on how marketing and design have transformed since Done By Nine's inception, from the early Canva days to today's AI-driven landscape.

Discover the challenges of constant platform changes and how staying adaptable has been crucial to their success.

The team shares memorable client success stories and discusses the privilege of having a front-row seat to their clients' growth journeys along with the satisfaction of long-term client relationships.

For business owners, this episode offers valuable insights on marketing evolution, the importance of authenticity in an AI-driven world, and why staying agile is essential for future success.

Whether you're a marketer or business leader, you'll appreciate this honest conversation about adapting to industry changes while maintaining core values.

Episode Timeline:

00:00 Introduction and Team Introductions

00:38 Reflecting on Five Years of Business

02:35 Changes in Marketing and Design

06:45 Impact of COVID-19 on Business

14:40 Client Success Stories

28:39 Core Values and Company Culture

31:43 Future Predictions and Closing Remarks

Google's latest marketing research has destroyed "Hello [First Name]" emails, revealing only 18% of consumers care about seeing their name on product recommendations.

What customers actually want is content relevance in digital marketing - messaging that directly addresses their problems, pain points, and desires at the right moment in their buyer journey.

In this episode, I break down Google's surprising consumer behaviour research that challenges conventional personalisation wisdom and explain why focusing on relevance outperforms basic personalisation tactics in your marketing strategy.

You'll discover:

• How a fictional airline captured 41% market share from established competitors using relevant messaging and content marketing
• Why the "Messy Middle" of customer decision-making requires relevance, not personalisation in your email marketing
• Practical ways to shift your marketing automation from shallow personalisation to genuinely helpful relevance

For SMEs and marketing teams, this research delivers good news: you don't need sophisticated personalisation technology to win customers - you just need to be more relevant than your competition with targeted content.

Listen for actionable digital marketing insights on building relevant communications that demonstrate you truly understand your customers' needs and drive better marketing ROI.

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We're marking a special milestone over the next month - 5 years of building our business, Done By Nine!

In this episode, we turn the tables and invite my wife and business partner, Jacqueline, into the studio to reflect on our journey of building a digital marketing agency from scratch.

From our humble beginnings during COVID lockdowns (with a newborn baby on the way!) to selling Jacqueline's salon business to running our agency remotely from Mexico for three months - we open up about the real challenges and triumphs of building a business as a married couple.

In this conversation, we explore:

• The pivotal moment when we realised our business was viable (hint: it involved a vulnerable LinkedIn post)
• How we managed family life while recording content with toys shoved in corners during lockdown
• The significance of our first office space and that all-important coffee machine
• The delicate balance of working together as spouses and business partners
• Our vision for the future

Whether you're running a business with your partner or simply curious about our origin story, this episode offers an honest look at what it takes to build something meaningful together, both in business and in life.

Join us for part one of this special reflection as we celebrate five years of Done By Nine!

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While most business owners are obsessed with using AI to create content, they're missing something far more significant: AI is completely transforming how customers discover businesses.

In this episode, we reveal how tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini are already deciding whether to recommend your business to potential customers without you even knowing it.

You'll discover:

• How AI referral traffic is already driving conversions for businesses with strong digital footprints
• What determines whether AI tools "know" your business exists (hint: it's not luck)
• Three practical strategies to position your brand for AI-driven discovery
• Why this isn't just another marketing trend, but a fundamental shift in business discovery

If you're still just using ChatGPT to write your social posts while ignoring how AI is reshaping customer behavior, your competitors may already be steps ahead.

Listen now to ensure your business stays visible in this AI-driven future.

01:03 The Real Disruption: AI and Business Discovery
01:33 Understanding AI's Impact on Traffic and Conversions
04:13 How AI Tools Like ChatGPT Work
09:06 Why Some Businesses Get AI Attention
12:35 Strategies to Increase AI Visibility

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We're exploring how businesses are getting AI content creation completely wrong and the hidden cost it's having on marketing teams and creativity.

Recent research from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University reveals a disturbing trend: as marketing teams become more reliant on AI tools, their critical thinking and creativity are quietly declining. While AI promises increased efficiency, it might be creating a generation of lazy marketers.

In this episode, we'll uncover why increased AI efficiency could be damaging your marketing team's creativity, and dive into surprising research that shows how AI is fundamentally changing how marketers think.

You'll learn how to spot the warning signs of over-reliance on AI in your team, discover practical frameworks to balance AI tools with human creativity, and walk away with action steps to build stronger, more capable marketing teams in 2025.

Whether you're a business owner trying to modernize your marketing or a marketing team leader navigating AI implementation, this episode provides the roadmap you need to leverage AI without losing your creative edge.

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Is the traditional 'marketing funnel' dead - and what's replaced it in 2025?

Taking my 6-year-old to the toy store revealed something fascinating about modern customer behavior: the path to purchase isn't linear anymore. Instead, it's a chaotic web of AI recommendations, social proof, and endless options.

Google calls this the "messy middle" - that space between first interest and final purchase. While this concept isn't new, it's taken on a whole new meaning in our AI-driven world.

In this episode, we dive deep into:

• Why traditional marketing funnels are failing in 2025
• How AI is transforming the way customers discover and choose businesses
• The six psychological triggers driving purchase decisions
• Practical strategies for showing up at every stage of your customer's journey
• Why embracing chaos might be your best marketing strategy

Whether you're struggling to understand how AI is impacting your marketing or looking to better connect with today's constantly-distracted customers, this episode will help you navigate the new reality of customer discovery.

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Love it or hate it, it appears that we can't ignore the powerhouse that is TikTok, and today we're exploring a fascinating paradox in modern marketing: as AI tools become more sophisticated, TikTok's 2025 Trend Report that they just released reveals that authentic, human-driven content matters more than ever.

With 1.8 billion monthly active users and recent political challenges, TikTok's influence on global marketing is undeniable. But beyond the platform's success lies a crucial lesson for every business: the delicate balance between AI efficiency and human authenticity is the key to marketing success in 2025.

The real power isn't in choosing between AI tools and authentic content - it's in mastering how they work together to enhance your marketing strategy.

In this episode, we dive deep into TikTok's 2025 Trend Report, exploring:

• Why authentic content is becoming more crucial in an AI-driven world
• How to build genuine community engagement while leveraging AI tools
• Understanding the balance between AI efficiency and human creativity
• Practical ways to experiment with content while maintaining your brand's authentic voice
• Real insights into why some businesses are failing with AI-generated content

Whether you're a business owner trying to navigate the AI revolution or a marketing team leader looking to scale your content strategy, this episode will show you exactly how to balance AI capabilities with authentic human connection for maximum impact - even if you never plan to post on TikTok.

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