Guest: Lorraine Ball, Host of More Than a Few Words Podcast
Experience: 19 years running a digital marketing agency, sold in 2021
Current Focus: Marketing consulting, teaching, and podcasting
Key Topics Covered
Building and Scaling an Agency
- Started in 2002 as traditional marketing company
- Evolved into digital agency with social media emergence
- Strategic decision to cap at 10 employees and raise prices instead of scaling
- Maintained 30% client maximum rule to avoid dependency risk
- Focused on home services (HVAC, plumbing, roofing) and restaurants
Business Philosophy
- "Hire for attitude, train for skill" - Southwest Airlines model
- Phones answered on first ring by anyone, including CEO
- Personal touch as competitive advantage
- Long-term client relationships (10+ years typical)
Strategic Insights
- Capacity management: Stay below capacity line, raise prices when at capacity
- Risk management: No single client over 30% of business
- Market positioning: Answer the questions your ideal clients have
- Content strategy: Focus on answers, not just keywords
Episode 2: Lorrie Thomas Ross - Marketing in the AI Era
Guest: Lorrie Thomas Ross, CEO of Web Marketing Therapy
Title: "The Marketing Therapist"
Experience: 19 years as Chief Enthusiasm Officer, former UC Santa Barbara & UC Berkeley instructor
Key Frameworks Discussed
The Five Factor Framework
- Credibility - Know, like, and trust through design, copy, and photography
- Usability - Seamless user experience across all touchpoints
- Visibility - Strategic presence across search and social media, ads, email, and PR
- Sellability - Clear differentiation and value proposition
- Scalability - Treating marketing as investment, not expense
"MarkEDing" Philosophy...
