The Power of Strategy: How to Align Your Marketing, Team & Operations, with Sara Nay

Welcome to another episode of The COO Solution Podcast! This week, Derek Fredrickson is joined by marketing strategist and CEO of Duct Tape Marketing, Sara Nay. With over 15 years of experience helping small businesses simplify and succeed with smarter marketing strategies, Sara offers a candid look at how business owners can navigate today’s noisy marketing world with clarity, purpose, and efficiency.

In this episode, Sara breaks down why “less is more” is the new marketing mantra, how AI is reshaping execution and creativity, and why the most effective marketing teams are structured around clarity, not chaos.

In This Episode:

• [00:44] The Marketing Strategy Pyramid: How to align business strategy, marketing execution, and team roles for seamless growth.
• [03:24] AI’s Role in Elevating Team Capacity: Why AI isn’t replacing humans—it’s empowering them to lead and think more strategically.
• [12:09] Strategy First, Tactics Second: Why jumping to funnels, ads, or content before mapping a strategy is a costly mistake.
• [15:01] The Entrepreneur’s Role in Marketing: Sara shares how founders can stay involved without micromanaging every campaign.
• [20:50] From Intern to CEO: Sara’s journey through Duct Tape Marketing and how her all-hands experience makes her a better leader.
• [25:53] Marketing Horror Stories & Ownership: Why so many small businesses get burned—and how to protect yourself by owning your strategy.
• [28:57] Building Internal Marketing Assets: How to stop outsourcing everything and start taking control with the right guidance.
• [33:05] Sara’s Final Insight: “Do less, but do it better”—why human connection is the competitive edge that still matters most.

✅ Action Steps for Listeners:

• Audit your current marketing efforts—are they aligned with your business strategy?
• Involve your leadership team in building a customer journey map.
• Consider where AI can enhance—not replace—your team’s productivity.
• Focus on marketing activities that actually build relationships.

Resources & Links:

• Sara Nay LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/saranay
• Duct Tape Marketing Free Resources: DTM World Growth
• Free Quiz – Take the free 25-question quiz to see if your business is ready for the support of a Fractional COO: https://thecoosolution.com
• Podcast Page – https://thecoosolution.com/podcast

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