When we're receiving messages, we want simplicity - and yet, when we're on the other side, as the sender, we have a propensity to push over-complicated, redundant, and jargon-laden messages out into the ether.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Ben Guttmann, the Founder of the Digital Natives Group and author of "Simply Put," to talk about why this is and what we as marketers can do to bridge this divide.

To connect with Ben, click HERE.

To connect with the show's host - Eric Holtzclaw - click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

In relational work, individuals with some sort of public-facing presence are at an advantage because people don't want to buy from a company but from an individual. They're in it to work with you, the expert - not your brand. That's what they're buying into.

In many business-to-business companies, though, it's often a challenge to convince those experts to step forward.

That's where someone like Emma Donovan, Co-Founder and Director of the human-centric brand studio Dapper, comes in.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Emma to talk about the why and how of personal branding.

To connect with Emma, click HERE.

To connect with the show's host - Eric Holtzclaw - click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

Most organizations, whether they realize it are not, service organizations.

A lot of the work that happens in organizations is separated and spread out across a variety of different nodes so much so that it's easy to lose sight of whether the value to customers and employees is actually being manifested.

In this episode, Eric sits down with Patrick Quattlebaum, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of service design consultancy Harmonic Design, for a talk about how organizations deliver value, the employee-customer experience continuum, and what a systems-thinking approach can do to help us make sense of it all.

To connect with Patrick, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, the host of the show, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

Doing your research when working in social media can save your brand so much potential trouble. It can get spooky when you make an unforgivable mistake on social media. On this throwback episode of The Claw, our Social Media Coordinator, Stella Huffman chats about social media horror stories that made her cringe.

To connect with Stella Huffman, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

In business-solutions markets - your prospects - unfortunately - don't really know what they need when you first start talking with them."

"They might have an idea of what they need," as Jeremy Miner, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of 7th Level, a sales training company, says, "but they understand neither the depth of the problem nor the consequences of what happens if they don't solve it."

In this episode, Eric talks with Jeremy about how to - as a business-solutions vendor - pose more effective questions to prospects, create "internal tension," and - of course - sell more, faster.

To connect with Jeremy, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, the host of the show, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

Earned media, it's a useful thing.

It's easy to see why - "that third-party corroboration, getting media pick-up," as Mickie Kennedy, Founder of eReleases, says, "it's almost like social proof - or maybe even implied endorsement."

"It works like a referral in a way."

Useful - but resource-intensive, slow to build, and inherently unpredictable.

This doesn't, though, mean you shouldn't pursue earned media - but that, as Mickie and Eric discuss, it requires a proper strategy. To connect with Mickie, click HERE.

To connect with Eric, the host of the show, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

With business-solutions purchases, "most people don't make immediate decisions."

As Stephanie Nivinskus, Chief Executive Officer of SizzleForce, says "you have to nurture them, love on them - provide reasons for them to do business with you, cultivating trust and consumer confidence."

This sort of thing, though, doesn't happen in today's market, as saturated as it is, without a well-reasoned, strategic approach - and where such an approach starts is with a fleshed out understanding of those you want to reach - your audience.

In this episode, we talk data, customer behavior, the degree to which you have to work at cultivating a relationship with your audience - and the part technology can play in automating segments of the process.

To connect with Stephanie, click HERE.

To connect with Eric, the host of the show, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

"We have a certain audience - a group of people we want to get in touch with - but what's a way to do so that feels like a native part of their digital experience?"

As Zacharay Slingsby, Founder of Human Factor Media, sees it, the answer to this question is branded content, "digital video with a narrative structure, the purpose of which isn't to explicitly sell a product, but to entertain an audience."

In this episode, we talk - among other things - the iterative editing process, the preferences of today's consumer, and how to convince your clients of the necessity of content.

To connect with Zachary Slingsby, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

Your shareholders now are your employees who share - they are the holder of that story to share."

So says Rhea Allen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Peppershock Media, a full service advertising agency with in-house video production and graphic design, seasoned with digital spice.

Today - we're talking about culture - and how a "happy culture" results in "happy customers."

To connect with Rhea Allen, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

My viewpoint is: obscurity is the fundamental problem. There are thousands - tens of thousands - of people out there we'd be able to help - if only they knew about us."

So says Tom Schwab, Founder and Chief Evangelist of Interview Valet, a concierge-level podcast guest booking service.

That's right - today, we're talking about podcasting on a podcast.

To connect with Tom Schwab, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

Today, we're talking with Kyle Painting, Founder of My Influency, about influencer marketing - what it is, its use as a tactic, and his efforts to make it more straightforward and accessible for small and mid-market businesses.

To connect with Kyle Painting, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click @ligerpartners5472" target="_blank" title="null" rel="noopener">HERE.

Today, we're talking with Jon Morris, who’s built a proprietary, tech-enabled approach for surfacing hidden financial insights and (given his background in digital marketing - he’s the mind behind Rise Interactive) is using it to empower marketing agencies to achieve first-rate financial performance.

To connect with Jon Morris, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click @ligerpartners5472" target="_blank" title="null" rel="noopener">HERE.

Today, we're talking with Zee Jeremic, Founder and CEO of Mass Engines, about revenue growth, business process optimisations re: marketing and sales, and marketing as a revenue (instead of cost) center.

To connect with Zee Jeremic, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click @ligerpartners5472" target="_blank" title="null" rel="noopener">HERE.

Today, we're talking with Ericka Saurit, Founder at Saurit Creative, about on becoming a "creative renegade," being strategic with your message, and capturing market voice.

To connect with Ericka Surit click HERE.

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To subscribe to our YouTube Channel click HERE.

Today, we're talking with one of our most recent additions to the Pride: Evan Johnson, someone who's found himself working in marketing without much of a marketing background.

Evan talks about the work that went into learning the "language of marketing," how his non-marketing background has informed his view of the marketing landscape, and the advice he'd give to someone who's thinking about following the same trajectory as he.

To connect with Evan Johnson, click HERE.

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw, click HERE.

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel (and access most of the podcast and video content we've produced), click HERE.

On this episode of The Claw, we welcome Jeff Bartsch of Story Greenlight. Story Greenlight unlocks the power of messaging so that people can connect. Jeff defines what a story actually is, how he approaches storytelling for companies, and advice for businessess who are hesitant to tell their story authentically. Listen in on what Jeff has to say!

To connect with Jeff click HERE

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To subscribe to our YouTube Channel click @ligerpartners5472" target="_blank" title="null" rel="noopener">HERE

Today, we're talking with Josh Cohen, Director, Digital Marketing at Tarkenton about digital strategy, account-based marketing, and digital and display advertising - something he's forgotten more about than we'll ever manage to learn.

To connect with Josh Cohen, click HERE

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To subscribe to our YouTube Channel, click HERE

On today's episode of The Claw, we welcome Adam Forrand, CEO and President of Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce. A chamber is all about being a liaison and advocate to the business community. Adam chats about the advantages of plugging into your local chamber including building connections, and how you choose which chamber is best for you geographically. Listen in on what Adam has to say!

To connect with Adam click HERE

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On today's episode of The Claw, in a continuation of last week's episode, we welcome back Will Adams of Tarkenton. In part 2 of this podcast Eric and Will discuss navigating the political nature of an organization, and what happens when you "go outside the roadmap". Listen in on what Will has to say!

To connect with Will click HERE

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On today's episode of The Claw, we welcome Will Adams, President of Tarkenton. Tarkenton helps companies of all stripes get to market quickly and scale. In part one of this two-part episode, Will chats about adapting to change, navigating as an employee in a large organization, and the reward of being a political animal. Listen in on what Will has to say!

To connect with Will click HERE

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw click HERE

To subscribe to our Youtube Channel click HERE

On today's episode of The Claw, we welcome the The 'God Mother of Liger', Beth Miller of Executive Velocity. Executive Velocity specializes in leadership development, executive coaching, and succession planning. Beth chats about how the personalities and beliefs of individuals play into communications, how important development is in leadership roles, and discovering your business DNA. Listen in on what Beth has to say!

To connect with Beth click, https://www.linkedin.com/in/betharmknechtmiller/

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw click, https://www.linkedin.com/in/eholtzclaw/

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel click, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbiiVRIqMa2mDOLD34GfyFg

On today's episode of The Claw we welcome Aaron Burnett of WheelHouse DMG. WheelHouse DMG is a data-driven performance drives marketing agency. Aaron chats about regulations put in play that all marketers should know about, how he approaches content strategy, and how to remain laser-focused on business value. Listen in on what Aaron has o say!

To connect with Aaron click HERE

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To subscribe to our YouTube Channel click HERE

On this episode of The Claw we welcome Camela Thompson, VP of marketing at Calibermind. Calibermind is a B2B customer data platform. Camela talks about adjusting your marketing to the way buyers are shopping, challenges B2B marketers face when adjusting to new industry standards, and the reality of B2B marketing today. Listen in on what Camela has to say!

To connect with Camela click HERE

To connect with Eric Holtzclaw click HERE

To subscribe to our YouTube Channel click HERE

"Leadership is the thing that creates culture." People running small and medium-sized businesses are the most impactful entities regarding company culture. On today's episode of The Claw, we welcome Jesan Sorrels of Leadership Toolbox. Leadership Toolbox helps managers and supervisors become better leaders. In this podcast, Jesan talks about how to asses and clearly define your company's culture, and advice on what to do if your company is experiencing mergers and acquisitions. Listen in on Jesan's impactful advice!

Whether you're a small business owner or part of a larger creative agency, financial management is crucial to long-term success. Join us on this episode of The Claw Podcast as we dive into the world of Jody Grunden of Summit Virtual CFO Services and explore the important role that Summit plays in ensuring creative agencies manage their finances to ultimately drive success.

"People's potential for suffering is so grand." On Today's episode of The Claw, we welcome Juliana Marulanda, founder and partner for Scaletime. Scaletime is an organization that helps with consulting, training, and facilitating agency owners to scale. Juliana chats about when business owners should consider scaling, how to adequately do so, and how to attract your dream client. Listen in on what Juliana has to say!

On today's episode of The Claw, we welcome Dedren Snead of Subsume. Subsume's mission is to empower storytellers with technology to make sure underrepresented voices are heard through technology. Dedren and Eric chat about how marketing benefits from new technology, how he goes about cients that are interested in virtual reality and how marketing and virtual realites similarities and differeces. Listen in on what Dedren has to say!