When I started my podcasting journey, I couldn't have imagined reaching 100 episodes on the Marketing Bound podcast. I have learned so much since I started recording late 2019.
I started the podcast out of pure selfishness - so I could interview entrepreneurs and learn the secrets to success. The podcast turned into a collection of amazing stories. But I knew it wasn't enough. I rebranded and focused on marketing - since that was and still is my day job.
Finally, I niched down my target audience - like a true marketer. I now focus on helping new B2B marketers by providing them a safe space for them to learn - an outlet I would have loved when I was starting my career.
As my podcast changed, so did I. I changed my job twice, became Director of Marketing for Assurance IT, I moved out of my parents' home to another province with my boyfriend, bought three real estate properties, grew our income significantly and I transformed as a person. As we were stuck inside, we spent a lot of time on our projects and on ourselves. It was a journey but the result was immense growth and a solid foundation for what we plan on building in the future.
None of this would have happened without this podcast. And so, for the 100th episode, I want to share 100 lessons I've learned along the way. I hope the lessons spark interest and action in your own journey. If you have any questions, reach out to me on LinkedIn here.
Here is how I broke down the 100 lessons I learned from publishing 100 podcast episodes:
Career Growth - what I learned as I progressed through my career
Marketing lessons that I knew but got harshly reminded of
LinkedIn Lessons - especially for B2B marketers
Here is a short episode going through some of the lessons I learned the hard way.
Truths:
There are too many books out there for anyone to read but start with one a month. Reading is the secret to growth and prosperity.
People with engaged audiences are the entrepreneurs of the future.
Whatever it is you want to start, just start.
Failure is part of success. Start failing.
It’s very easy to get distracted by information online. Don’t listen to everyone.
Reinvest in yourself and your business or else you pay the government (by paying taxes).
There are sooooo many people doing amazing things. Not just the ones you hear about.
Being busy is not good. Be intentional.
It’s okay to change your mind.
If you believe in yourself, then you can do it.
You can do whatever it is you want to do. It might not be easy, but you can do it.
Imposter syndrome is real. And sometimes, you don’t even realize you have it.
Small habits lead to massive growth and growth is necessary for success - no matter what you want to accomplish.
What I learned as I progressed through my career:
Work for someone you respect.
Try to find mentors within the company to help guide you.
Confidence is a huge component of how far you get.
If you’re not learning, leave.
As a marketer, you also need to think about the business perspective when working on projects.
You need to get results. You need to track your progress.
Putting in extra effort in your job is always worth it if you're building your skills and knowledge.
Strategy shouldn’t change in the short-term, only tactics change in the short-term.
Politics are everywhere.
I prefer working on smaller teams.
Never stop learning. Marketing is always changing.
Success:
You need a goal to work towards or else you’ll be floating around wondering why you’re not achieving your goals...who knew.
Figure out that goal and work backwards - what needs to be done every quarter, month, week and day for you to achieve it.
If you don’t work on your business/podcast/side hustle/whatever, it won’t turn out the way you want - you need to put in the hours - seems simple but I was overlooking this for a while.
Focus on one project at a time - shiny object syndrome is very real.
You can create the life you dream of. I’ve interviewed so many people who have done this. It’s not impossible.
A very big part of success is mindset. You can only be successful once you become the person who can be successful.
You can be successful even if you started “years later" than someone else.
Surround yourself with like-minded people. I think everyone I interviewed was part of a mastermind group and had mentors. And they also have friends who have similar goals. Once I started interviewing successful people, I started surrounding myself with like minded people and trust me - that strengthens your mindset and steers you in the right direction.
Your habits determine how successful you will be.
What works for others doesn’t mean it will work for you.
You don’t have to be tired or overworked to be successful. You have to be intentional and focused.
There’s space for everyone to be successful.
If you’re not having fun, you don’t get very far. It’s really about what you do every day. That’s what matters.
Successful people never stop learning. Ever.
Marketing lessons that I knew but got harshly reminded of:
There are no right answers in marketing, but there are a lot of wrong ones.
Niche down - I knew this one but I didn’t apply it, and that’s where the difference is between those who succeed and those who don’t.
Talk to your customers - literally what else is more important? Nothing.
The content you create is for your customers so don’t just make content because it’s the “easier” content for you to make.
Ungated content is the way to go. You build trust a lot faster.
If you aren’t leading with relationships, what are you doing?
All the clichés that are correct:
Success is right outside your comfort zone - pains me to write it out but yeah, it’s true.
Fake it until you make it. Most people misunderstand this but it means try your best until you build the credentials you need.
Consistency - literally nothing more powerful.
Community is really so powerful.
Content is king.
Morning routines and night routines are real and they work.
If you don't learn a lesson, the universe will keep trying to teach it to you.
Whatever you’re not changing, you’re choosing. Sounds cheesy but very real.
Rejection is actually redirection.
Networking:
Building a network takes time but if you genuinely want to help others, they will help you back.
A network really does determine your net worth not because they pay you but because of the opportunities that come from knowing those people.
Never ask someone to pick their brain, they might actually vomit.
Not everyone has the best intentions and it’s okay to not let them in your circle. Be selective with those you let into your network.
What I learned about myself:
Make sure to have clear goals. I was floating around wondering why I wasn’t advancing but I didn’t know where I was going. I didn’t know what I wanted. And so I didn’t advance.
I can adapt to change if I reframe what change means to me. Change now means opportunity to grow. Who doesn’t want that? ;)
If I haven’t done something before, I can’t expect to be an expert in it on the first try.
If I am disciplined in one area of my life, I am fully capable of applying that to other places in my life.
No matter where you are in life, you can help someone.
I can be grateful every single day for what I have while still striving for so much more.
Nobody cares about what you’re doing, so do it. And see what happens.
I can actually do something if I put my mind to it. For the longest time, I just dreamed of something more but never did anything about it. When you have confidence in yourself, that’s when things take off.
I now love managing my schedule and trying to be more productive.
Unlearning things is hard.
No matter what you’re working on, make sure you’re focused. Shiny object syndrome pulls you away from your goals.
Self-development:
Balance is a myth. Or at least no one who is successful practices balance.
Being disciplined is not only about making sure you do what you need to do but saying no to everything that distracts you from your goals. Without that, you will 100% burnout.
Everyone can make money, but not everyone does it easily.
Things take time. I was always rushing to do more when in reality, I still have time to do everything I want to do.
Reflection is necessary for growth.
Audit your schedule, you’ll see how much time you have per week to work on yourself or on another project…it’s A LOT of time.
Every time something was just a little hard I would scare away and not try it. I avoided it. But now that I know I do that, I consciously make an effort to do that scary thing.
Working on yourself, on personal growth is the secret to unlock your potential.
Delayed gratification is very difficult but so damn rewarding.
Journal - write out what’s on your mind, work through ideas and spend time with your thoughts - that’s where I found a lot of growth.
I thought that if I just worked more hours, I would be more successful but that’s not true. I was burning out and stopped taking care of myself. I’m proud that I learned about self-care, taking time off, eating well and exercising - it was a journey.
Focus on improving yourself 1% better every day. Focus on the small decisions you make daily. That’s what will have the biggest impact on your life.
Self-leadership. If you wouldn’t “follow” yourself, why should anyone else?
Show up for yourself every day. No one else will.
We keep commitments to our friends telling them we will absolutely be there for supper. But then we talk ourselves out of going to the gym…
Don’t rely on motivation. It’s bullshit. Build discipline and rely on that.
LinkedIn Lessons:
Definitely the most powerful business platform that exists today.
You can 100% make money from LinkedIn.
LinkedIn makes it easy for you to network with people that you might never meet but you wish you could meet (you know who you are).
Like any social network, it does work, you just need to understand the audience.
My mindset on money has changed:
Don’t keep money in the bank.
Figure out how to make money work for you.
Don’t exchange time for money.
My goal isn’t to make a lot of money. My goal is to be financially free. And that takes time.
Making money is not a good goal.
Business:
When it clicks, it CLICKS. And it’s the best feeling.
Employees are very important.
Just because other companies do it, doesn’t mean it’s right for your business.
Nobody cares about your business, they only care about how you can help them.
Your first goal for passive revenue should be to make $1 online. That’s it.
Entrepreneurship doesn’t mean working 100 hour weeks. The best way to build a business is to scale it by building systems with the right people in it so you don’t need to be part of the day to day.
There are literally opportunities everywhere…we just don’t all see them.
Passive income is rad. Still working on building this. Excited!
Investing money is different from spending money. If every business expense seems like you’re spending money, then your business won’t reach its potential.
There’s room for everyone to win. Don’t be scared to collaborate with people/businesses in the same target audience as you.
In the end, you need to make money. And when you offer value, you’re not ashamed to ask for compensation.
Five components of running a successful business: cashflow, repeatable processes, network, mindset, action.
Podcasting:
It’s easy to find people who want to talk about themselves. It’s hard to find great guests who want to help your audience. You’ll need to say no to people.
If you don’t promote the podcast and tell people about it, it’s like your podcast doesn’t exist. Like the saying, “if no one hears the tree fall, does it make a sound.” The answer is no.
Press record.
Starting a podcast is a great way to grow and develop skills you can apply to your life and job.
Treat your podcast like a business - if you treat it like a hobby, it won’t go anywhere.
I definitely benefited from chatting with all these amazing guests on the Marketing Bound podcast and they changed my life. Thanks everyone <3
Thanks so much for being on the journey with me. And if you are new, welcome! It's going to be a fun ride.
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About the Marketing Bound podcast:
Helping new B2B marketers look good at work. Tune in to the Marketing Bound Podcast to develop your marketing skills, navigate the corporate world like a pro, boost your confidence in your role and access the greatest minds in B2B marketing. Join Laura L. Bernhard every week to fast-track your career in B2B. Subscribe to the Marketing Bound Podcast on Spotify or on Apple Podcasts.