Listen in as Dave Gerhardt walks you through building a marketing plan from a story, overcoming imposter syndrome, and setting goals for success — even when you’re your own boss.
If you love this show, please leave a review. Go to RateThisPodcast.com/bam and follow the simple instructions.
Episode Highlights
Inflection points from the show
[00:50] Imposter among us: Dave Charest, Director of Small Business Success at Constant Contact, talks about imposter syndrome — feeling like a phony in some aspect of your life despite the success you’ve achieved. He provides some tips from verywellmind.com for managing these feelings.
[05:35] Steeped in entrepreneurship: Dave Gerhardt spent some of his early career at Constant Contact, where he was surrounded by other entrepreneurially minded people. This inspired him to start a marketing blog or podcast outside the office.
[10:39] We’ve all been there: Gerhardt discusses imposter syndrome’s role in his own life, professionally and personally. Not only does it haunt his golf game, but also his newer creative pursuits.
[14:55] Follow me: Gerhardt’s transition from Drift to his own business, Exit Five, quickly got traction. His LinkedIn following was his biggest champion, supporting his paywall model.
[23:23] Stray from the crowd: Gerhardt’s mentor at Drift, CEO David Cancel, encouraged him to ignore industry best practices regarding marketing. Instead, he pushed Gerhardt to focus on understanding people rather than just the business world.
[29:54] The work is different: While Gerhardt no longer goes to an office and reports to someone else, there’s still plenty of work to be done for Exit Five. The difference? He plays to his strengths in content creation.
[33:40] Hold yourself accountable: When you work for yourself, it’s important to still set goals and routines for your life. Gerhardt finds it helpful to set aside certain hours for writing his newsletter or recording his podcast.
[36:47] Growing how you want: Gerhardt knows that Exit Five has massive growth potential, but it would require sacrifices he doesn’t want to make. While he could turn it into a $20 million business, he’d rather do the things that make him happy.
[42:28] From story to delivery: Gerhardt walks through what steps to take after you develop a good story for your brand. He recommends asking yourself, “Where are my customers hanging out? How can I reach them there?”
[45:15] Understand the channel: It’s tempting to repurpose content across different social media channels, but each one has unique needs. Create content specific to a given channel for a better chance of success.