In this episode, Brandy and Jodi kick off the new year with new standards for your brand. Not the “pick a color palette and a cute logo” kind of brand, but the kind people actually remember, talk about, and trust with their money.

They break down what a brand really is, why personality matters, the four questions every buyer is quietly asking, and a simple exercise you can do today to tighten up your foundations. There are also bananas, orangutans, and a QR code story that was about ten years too early.

• Why “New Year, new standards” should apply to your brand, not just your resolutions

• What branding really is

  • How people experience you

  • Your website, how you answer the phone, how fast you follow up

  • How people feel after dealing with you

• The “coffee shop test” for your brand

  • If your brand was a person, would anyone choose to sit with them

  • Or would they quietly move tables

• Personality and being memorable

  • Brandy’s banana / orangutan / ridiculous voicemail example

  • Why doing something a little weird and memorable can set you apart

  • How to be authentic if you are not naturally funny or high energy

• Branding that fits who you are

  • Your brand should reflect your real personality, not a fake online version

  • Why people can feel it when you are faking it

  • Giving yourself permission to be straightforward, serious, or silly, as long as it is honest

• The four questions every buyer is quietly asking when they meet your brand:

  1. What am I spending my money on

  2. What is in it for me

  3. Will this be worth it

  4. Can I trust you

• How to run a quick self audit on your marketing

  • Look at your homepage like a buyer, not the business owner

  • Ask: does this answer those four questions

  • Ask a friend or your audience to look at your site and tell you what is missing

• Social media as proof, not promises

  • Show social proof instead of only saying what you will do

  • Use before and afters, screenshots, reviews, and real stories

  • Why reviews exploded after Covid and why that still matters for your brand

• The early QR code story

  • The free photo session QR code in the local paper that nobody scanned

  • How timing and buyer behavior matter just as much as the idea

  • Fun twist: how you could use QR codes now for little “guerrilla” freebies and surprise moments

Grab a notebook and answer these four questions:

1. Who do you serve

2. What problem do you solve

3. What result do you help them get

4. Why should they trust you

Then, look at your:

• Website homepage

• Social media profiles

• Recent posts

And ask:

• Would a stranger be able to answer those four questions in under 30 seconds

• If not, what needs to change first

After you listen:

• Take 10 minutes to do the mini exercise

• Pick one place to tighten your brand this week

  • Your voicemail

  • Your homepage headline

  • Your “about” section or bio

And if this episode got your wheels turning, subscribe to The Marketing Shakedown, share it with a fellow small business owner, and start raising the standards for your brand this year.

In this kickoff to our Fix Your Foundation January series, Brandy and Jodi break down why most “marketing problems” are actually foundation problems. If last year felt chaotic, random, or like you were constantly “trying more content” with not much to show for it, this one’s your wake-up call.

We walk through:

• Why guessing at your numbers is quietly killing your confidence

• The 3 non-negotiable foundations every small business needs this year

• How to set a simple monthly revenue + lead goal (without a spreadsheet headache)

• What “chaos to calendar” really looks like in a real small business

• A quick homework exercise you can do in 10 minutes to get unstuck

There’s also a special appearance by Security Officer Ziggy the Devon Rex, supervising the recording and making sure we keep the standards high.

If you’re ready for New Year, new standards instead of “New Year, same mess,” this episode will give you the clarity and simple next steps you’ve been missing.

Today we’re talking real-world guerrilla marketing that actually gets remembered. Tennessee’s Choice Plumbing rolls into parades with an 8-foot inflatable toilet, a mini-van go-kart, and rubber ducks instead of candy. And yes, it works. We swap parade stories (including the time Jodi dressed as a gorilla for Christmas), and we get into how “serious” industries ( like law firms ) can still play with taste and stay on-brand.

We also own a couple of our flops, unpack why safe ads disappear, and debate the spicy take: paid social can fluff your numbers and tank your organic for a while. Stick around for the “dumb idea that might work” , plus easy, low-budget pop-by ideas you can steal this week. If your marketing hasn’t made someone smile, wave, or steal a yard sign… it’s not memorable enough.