Marketing That Moves the Needle: Arielle Cohen on Scaling Service Businesses with Strategy

In this episode, she unpacks how authenticity, strategic financial planning, leadership evolution, and bold branding helped her business not just survive—but scale. From creating “Stoplight Reports” to empowering global teams, Arielle offers practical advice with raw honesty and high energy.

📝 Key Interview Notes🔥 Startup Story

• Arielle didn’t start with Marketing 411—she had several businesses that didn’t make it.
• The breakthrough came from a chance meeting with her future business partner in the roofing space.
• They combined forces to meet a pressing market demand for marketing services in contracting.

💡 “Oh Crap” & “Aha” Moments

• Realized no business—even those making hundreds of millions—has it all figured out.
• Shifted from feeling “I must be doing it wrong” to “everyone’s figuring it out.”

💸 Financial Planning & Strategy

• Initially didn’t understand financial metrics beyond basic awareness.
• Introduced weekly financial reviews (instead of monthly) using Stoplight Reports.

“Most companies look at their financials 12 times a year. We look 52 times.”

• Key advice: “There’s no financial problem in your business that more sales can’t fix.”

📊 Tactical Takeaways

• Know your numbers: P&L ≠ bank balance.
• Start with financial awareness, then make strategic changes.
• Reverse engineer growth: start with the vision, then identify the systems, tools, and people needed.

👩‍💼 Women in Leadership

• Being female in a male-dominated space is an advantage, not a limitation.

“I get to use this to my advantage and make it a reason to excel forward, not be behind.”🌎 Leadership Lessons

• Biggest hurdle: herself.
• Used techniques like the “Bring a Solution, Not Just a Problem” model and the 10/80/10 rule.

“I was my biggest hurdle. I had to break old habits to become a better leader.”💬 Signature Question – What It Takes?“I have ‘whatever it takes’ tattooed on me. This is a you-versus-you game. You’re in a lifelong game of Monopoly. And you gotta be ready to do whatever it takes.”💬 Memorable Quotes

• “If you’ve never hit multi-7 figures, you won’t know how to act like one. You learn as you go.”
• “Marketing systems should not just bring in leads—they should bring in the right ones.”
• “Being a business owner means you never arrive. You’re always on the move.”
• “You are in a lifelong video game. It's you versus you.”
• “Don’t cage your people—let them fly. That’s when the magic happens.”