Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Bridging Design and Development: Mira found herself in a unique position as a liaison between design and development teams, leveraging her understanding of both areas to advocate for effective communication and problem-solving. This role allowed her to add significant value to her teams by ensuring that design concepts were feasible for developers.

2. Content Over Design: Mira emphasizes the importance of clear content over design quality when creating websites. She shares an example of how understanding the audience—especially in terms of language and usability—can significantly impact user experience, highlighting that what might seem intuitive to one group may not be clear to another.

3. The Complexity of Niching in Business: The discussion highlights the evolution of business practices, particularly in marketing and software, where more specialized niches are emerging. Many businesses might not realize that the strategies employed by larger companies involve complex, tailored approaches that aren't easily replicable. This can lead to misunderstandings about what works and why, as businesses often imitate competitors without fully considering their unique audience needs.

About Mira Violet Zyra and Cloud Vertex:

- Website: https://cloudvertex.io/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miraviolet/

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Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Importance of Adaptable Communication: Good marketers must be excellent communicators, adapting their styles to each client's preferences. This includes understanding individual needs and establishing open, honest communication from the start.

2. Strategic Risk-Taking: Marketing often requires taking risks. Intelligent risks are calculated, well-articulated, and consider potential consequences. It's crucial to learn from failures and avoid repeating mistakes. The episode uses examples of both successful and unsuccessful viral marketing campaigns to illustrate this point.

3. Niche Marketing with a Broad Perspective: While specializing in a niche can be beneficial, it's important to consider how that niche interacts with other industries. Understanding the interconnectedness of consumer behavior across different areas can lead to more innovative and effective marketing strategies.

About Rachel Vandernick and The Vander Group:

- Website: https://www.thevandergroup.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelvandernick/

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Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

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Three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Circular Economy Model: Nick Esposito explains the concept of the circular economy, where instead of a traditional "take, make, dispose" model, resources are kept in use as long as possible. This reduces waste and supports more sustainable retail practices, and Circa Systems is pioneering this through platforms like Unless Kids, a toy-buying and swapping service that reduces waste and extends product life.
2. Practical Application and Growth: Circa Systems is focused on creating a seamless user experience by offering discounts and easy swaps for customers while engineering a platform that encourages return and reuse of products. Their initial focus on toys is part of a broader strategy that could eventually expand into other sectors like clothing and tools.
3. Marketing and Retention Strategies: The company uses a combination of localized marketing, word of mouth, and social media to attract and retain customers. They also emphasize the importance of customer feedback and tracking touchpoints to understand the sales cycle and improve engagement, ensuring both acquisition and retention through thoughtful outreach and consistent communication.

About Nic Esposito and Circa Tech:

• Website: https://circa-tech.com/
• 1 SOCIAL LINK: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nic-d-esposito/

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Penji is the human-first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: PHILLYMADE15

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Three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Building Client Relationships Over Creativity: Kyle emphasizes client retention by focusing on building strong relationships rather than prioritizing creativity. Maintaining long-term clients involves under-promising and over-delivering, such as providing extra deliverables or completing projects ahead of schedule to exceed expectations.

2. Navigating Niche Specialization: Finding a niche remains a challenge and an area of growth for Orchid Media. While currently functioning as a "jack-of-all-trades," the founder recognizes the importance of specialization for attracting a broader and more focused client base. The agency is exploring potential niches, such as sorority recruitment videos and emerging opportunities in virtual reality and 360-degree advertising, as part of its ongoing evolution.

3. Leveraging Personal Branding for Lead Generation: For lead generation, the founder relies on an organic approach through personal branding. By sharing the agency's journey, showcasing work, and building trust via personal social media, the founder creates a "founder story" that resonates with audiences.

About Kyle Schmidt and Orchid Media:

- Website: https://orchidmedia.co/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylemasonschmidt/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: PHILLYMADE15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
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• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji

Three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Importance of Implementation and Accountability: Jerome helps real estate professionals with marketing by focusing on implementation. While many understand the concepts of marketing, they struggle with taking action. Jerome addresses this by offering coaching and accountability, either by guiding clients through the process, doing it with them, or doing it for them.

2. The Role of Daily Role-Playing in Building Sales Confidence: Jerome emphasizes the importance of role-playing in sales. He participates in daily role-playing sessions with other agents to practice handling objections and improving his sales scripts. This regular practice has significantly boosted his confidence in sales, transforming him from feeling uncertain to being highly confident in his abilities.

3. Video Marketing for Personalization and Outreach: Jerome recommends the use of video as a personalized outreach strategy in real estate and other businesses. Instead of public speaking or large-scale broadcasts, they recommend sending one-on-one video messages, such as birthday greetings via video, to build personal connections and differentiate oneself. This personalized approach, especially in real estate, helps people feel more connected and valued, creating a lasting impression that can eventually lead to business.

About Jerome Lewis and Digital Real estate Strategy

- Website: http://digitalrealestatestrategy.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromelewisjr/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: **PHILLYMADE15**

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
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• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji

Here are three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Importance of Email Marketing: Dan emphasizes the importance of email marketing because it gives businesses control over their customer base. While platforms like Facebook and TikTok are effective for reaching new audiences, email provides a direct way to nurture and engage customers consistently, offering more security in data ownership.
2. Advice for Entrepreneurs: Dan advises utilizing your network for advice and growth, believing in yourself as the expert in your field, and over-communicating with clients to manage expectations and build trust. These are crucial steps in building a successful business.
3. Challenges of Setting Up a Business in Philadelphia: Dan highlights the complexities of setting up a business in Philadelphia, especially dealing with paperwork and understanding legal and tax requirements. While these hurdles are not unique to Philadelphia, he points out that the process could have been better communicated, reflecting the challenges faced by new business owners.

About Brian Spicciatie and Hospitality Marketing:

• Website: https://dbvmarketing.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danvogel01/

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Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: DBVMARKET15

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Three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. The Importance of Trust and Agency Fit: Both John and Steven highlight the need for trust and strong people skills when vetting agencies. They stress that agencies should not just have the technical capabilities but also demonstrate strong interpersonal skills and transparency in their dealings. Agencies should be willing to listen to clients and not push sales aggressively, which can undermine trust. Additionally, they mention that The Agency Guide prefers to work with niche specialists who are aligned with the client’s specific needs, as they can provide better, more efficient solutions.

2. Matchmaking Based on Compatibility: John Bertino emphasizes the importance of matching agencies and brands not just by their scope of work, but by their personalities and philosophies. He notes that a good partnership requires a balance of alignment and healthy pushback, avoiding mismatches that could lead to difficulties in the relationship.

3. Brand Strategy and Education: Steven highlights that brand strategy is more than just logos and design; it’s about differentiation, alignment with company goals, and impacting multiple areas of the organization, including employee relations and investor trust. Educating clients on the deeper importance of branding is central to their work, helping clients make smarter marketing decisions.

About Steven Picanza and John Bertino:

- Website: http://www.theagencyguide.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenpicanza/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbertino/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: AGENCYGUIDE15

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Three things you’ll learn in this episode:

1. Crisis Management and Integrity: Brian discusses his experience with damage control for a property management client during the COVID pandemic, emphasizing that operating with integrity and having transparent communication helps counter negative narratives. He believes that truth is a strong ally in public relations.

2. Due Diligence in Client Selection: Brian highlights the importance of thorough screening before taking on clients, particularly in the finance industry. He utilizes tools like BrokerCheck to assess potential clients’ backgrounds and ensures he only represents those with a clean record, avoiding those involved in significant scandals or unethical practices.

3. Integration of AI in PR: Brian shares how his agency has successfully incorporated generative AI into their processes without replacing human writing. He stresses that AI should enhance human creativity and efficiency, while human judgment remains crucial for maintaining credibility and quality in content creation.

About Brian Hart and Flackable:

- Website: https://flackable.com/

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianahart/

✨Sponsors✨

Penji, the human first creative subscription service for agencies and teams.

Enter code for 15% off your first month: PHILLYMADE15

• Website: https://penji.co/pricing/
• Subscribe to Penji’s Podcast Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@penjipodcast
• Subscribe to Penji’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@dotpenji