4 B2B Marketing Lessons from Disneys The Little Mermaid

Inspiration for how to be a better marketer can come from just about anywhere, including under the sea. Or should I say: Under The Sea, the best song from the 1989 Disney classic The Little Mermaid.

In the song, the crab Sebastian spends nearly three minutes singing to the mermaid Ariel about why she should not attempt to live on land. When we look at the song through a B2B marketing lens, it becomes a stark case study in common mistakes that any marketer should avoid.

There are four mistakes Sebastian makes in the course of this specific song that B2B marketers can learn a lesson from. Let’s take a look at each one and what they can teach us as marketers.

Mistake #1: He has the wrong message

Sebastian clearly did not consider his audience when preparing the message for this song. He centers his messaging around how staying under the sea will help her not get eaten by humans. The only problem is: humans don’t typically eat mermaids.

Instead, he may have considered a more practical message around how she would not be able to walk or breathe on land. While it’s true that Ariel eventually does get some spiffy human legs after trading her voice for them, messaging around the practical safety considerations earlier on in her decision making process may have resonated and caused her to reconsider.

The lesson for marketers: always make sure you understand your audience’s actual pain points. Don’t assume their problems are the same as your problems!

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“Always make sure you understand your audience’s actual pain points. Don’t assume their problems are the same as your problems!” — Art Allen @punsultant
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Mistake #2: He has the wrong messenger

I am not the first to make this point, but your dad’s coworker is probably the last person you’d listen to for advice on how to deal with the boy you like. Instead, Sebastian should have recruited someone Ariel would have been more likely to listen to. This is influencer marketing — or, in this case, maybe it’s finfluencer marketing.

Sebastian might have recruited Ariel’s good friend Flounder to deliver the “don’t try to go live on land” message. After all, Flounder also has an interest in keeping Ariel under the sea: he doesn’t want to lose his friend. Going with a more trustworthy source may very well have yielded better results.

The lesson for marketers: you (or your client) may not always be the best messenger. Consider an influencer marketing campaign to add credibility to your message.

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“You (or your client) may not always be the best messenger. Consider an influencer marketing campaign to add credibility to your message.” — Art Allen @punsultant
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Mistake #3: He doesn’t pivot

About two thirds of the way through the song, Flounder whispers in Ariel’s ear and they both leave. In the marketing world, we would call this real-time analytics: he can actually see his audience disengaging. But he’s too busy having fun with his song to notice.

The result of this is that he spends a full third of his campaign messaging to an audience that isn’t even there.

If he had noticed Ariel leaving, he could have pivoted. Whether changing up his message, his messenger, or some other aspect of his appeal, he shouldn’t have continued with the campaign as it was.

Lesson for marketers: pay attention to your analytics! If your audience isn’t responding to your campaign, dig into the data to figure out why and pivot accordingly.

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“Pay attention to your analytics! If your audience isn’t responding to your campaign, dig into the data to figure out why and pivot accordingly.” — Art Allen @punsultant
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Mistake #4: He doesn’t use generative AI

Yes, this one may seem a little unfair. But we’re halfway through 2023 here, and generative AI has matured and more than proven its value to marketers. There are no excuses for leaving generative AI out of your marketing toolbox — not even being a cartoon crab.

Sebastian might have used a generative AI tool like ChatGPT to brainstorm a list of concepts for how to present his argument. He also could have used a tool like Midjourney to create compelling visual aids to help tell his story.

Regardless of how he used it, the amount of help with ideation, concept revision, and content creation that generative AI tools offer very well may have provided him with what he needed to present a more compelling message.

Lesson for marketers: learn how to use generative AI tools. They are not a replacement for the hard work of making great marketing content, but they are invaluable for working more efficiently and effectively.

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“Learn how to use generative AI tools. They are not a replacement for the hard work of making great marketing content, but they are invaluable for working more efficiently and effectively.” — Art Allen @punsultant
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Don’t Make a Big Mistake

The world of B2B marketing may not be quite as magical as life under the sea, but in both places it’s easy to make mistakes. But those mistakes aren’t inevitable, and putting in a little bit of thought before, during, and after any campaign can help make sure your clients have a happy ending.

Learn more about crafting great B2B content experiences with our new free guide, Marketing with Intent: The Future of SEO & B2B Search Traffic.

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10 Signs You Need A Marketing Strategy and How To Get Back On Track

10 Signs You Need A Marketing Strategy and How To Get Back On Track written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

As a marketing consultant, I meet numerous business owners who are all set to take their companies to new heights. But, I’ve also noticed a consistent pattern of confusion about what a marketing strategy truly entails. It's a detailed plan designed by businesses to promote their product or service through different channels and tactics, in order to accomplish their business goals and understand their customer needs.

But, today I'm not just going to define it for you. Instead, let's uncover the 10 symptoms indicating your business might be operating without a solid marketing strategy.

If you find yourself nodding along to any of these symptoms, it's high time to collaborate with a strategic professional.

This is where the AI Prompts for Building a Marketing Strategy toolkit comes in!

This toolkit can help you develop a complete marketing strategy to overcome these symptoms. It's a step-by-step approach designed to boost your marketing efforts, enhance customer retention, increase online visibility, and improve ROI.

Your marketing strategy should be the backbone of your business - a roadmap leading you toward your growth goals. By identifying your ideal customers, creating consistent branding, and tracking your performance, you can start working smarter, not harder.

Get Your Toolkit

• Trying To Be All Things To All People 
• Lack Of Competitive Edge
• Forced To Compete On Price 
• Wasting Money And Resources
• Inconsistent Branding
• Low Customer Retention
• Poor Online Presence
• Untracked Performance
• Missed Opportunities
• Flat Sales And Profits

1. Trying To Be All Things To All People

We've all been there. If I'm a dentist, anybody with teeth is my ideal client, right? But this approach, while maybe attracting clients, fails to identify your most profitable, ideal, and best customers. Without understanding this, how can you effectively attract more of them?

Instead focus on being the right thing to the right people.

The idea of being a universal solution might seem appealing initially, but the truth is, you can't be all things to all people. In the world of business, it's crucial to identify your specific target market - the people who will benefit the most from your product or service.

Who is your ideal client? What are their pain points? What can you offer them that your competitors can't? By identifying and understanding your ideal client, you can tailor your marketing efforts to reach them more effectively instead of casting a wide net and hoping to catch something.

2. Lack Of Competitive Edge

Sound familiar? You're a commodity. In your clients' minds, every business that offers the same services is pretty much the same. If you're just one of many, why should they choose you over ten others who look just like you?

Create one.

To prevent falling into the "commodity trap", strive to create a unique value proposition. What makes you different? Why should clients pick you over competitors? Developing a distinct competitive edge doesn't happen overnight, but it's well worth the effort. It will allow you to stand out in your market, so you aren’t forced to compete solely on price.

3. Forced To Compete On Price

If your customers can't distinguish how you're different or unique, they'll default to comparing prices. And as we all know, price is a terrible place to compete. There will always be someone willing to sell cheaper than you do.

Instead charge a premium.

If you're struggling to differentiate your offering and find yourself competing primarily on price, you might need to reconsider your marketing strategy. The goal should be to provide such outstanding value that your customers are happy to pay a premium for your services.

Instead of lowering your prices to compete, consider how you can add more value. How can you make your customers' lives easier, save them time, or help them achieve their goals? By focusing on value over price, you can charge a premium and boost your profitability.

4. Wasting Money And Resources

Without a clear strategy, you're constantly testing the waters, never really sure what's working. There's a significant chance that most of your efforts aren't producing the results you expect.

Make sure to resource allocation and track performance.

Where are your marketing dollars going? Are you spreading them too thin across too many platforms or channels without really knowing which one is driving results? A robust marketing strategy will include a clear plan for resource allocation backed by regular performance tracking. This approach ensures you’re investing your money and time in avenues that drive results and help you understand what works best for your business.

5. Inconsistent Branding

Branding isn't just for large corporations or soap bars. It's about how customers perceive your promise or your values. Inconsistent branding leads to confused customers; you either stand for nothing, or you represent confusion.

Be Consistent.

Inconsistent branding leads to confused customers, and confused customers seldom become loyal customers. Be clear about what your brand stands for, and make sure this message is consistent across all your marketing channels. This includes your website, social media platforms, email marketing, and even your offline marketing materials. Remember, the least expensive thing you can do is to get more business from existing customers. 

6. Low Customer Retention

 You're losing customers as fast as you're getting them. Remember, the most cost-effective marketing is getting more business from existing customers.

Enhance your customer retention.

It's cheaper to keep an existing customer than to acquire a new one. By focusing on customer retention, you can increase your profitability. This might involve launching a loyalty program, consistently exceeding customer expectations. Here are some ways to make sure you're always delivering an outstanding value to your customers.

7. Poor Online Presence

Today, every business is served by having a robust online presence. If your online presence is weak, it's likely a symptom of a reactive and weak marketing approach.

Improve your online presence. 

Today, an online presence is non-negotiable. But it's not enough to just "be online". You need to have a strategic approach to your online presence. This involves a well-designed, user-friendly website, an engaging social media presence, and maybe even a content marketing strategy that helps establish you as a leader in your field. You need a consistent online presence.

8. Untracked Performance

Do you have no clue what's working and what's not? Maybe business is fine, but you don't know why or whether it will still be good tomorrow.

Set a tracking performance strategy.

A well-defined strategy allows you to set Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), like website traffic, leads, conversion rates, or customer retention rates. Tracking these KPIs provides invaluable insights into what's working and what isn't, enabling strategic adjustments.

Having a marketing strategy is about setting goals, tracking progress, and making necessary tweaks. Consistent performance monitoring assures your marketing efforts are steering your business in the right direction.

9. Missed Opportunities

Without a strategic focus on your ideal client, you miss the chance to serve them better. You also overlook the potential for partnerships and referrals.

Capitalize on opportunities.

Every customer interaction presents an opportunity. Are you making the most of these? Could you upsell or cross-sell? What about partnerships and referrals? Data tells that referrals have a 16% higher lifetime value rate, and a 37% higher retention rate than leads generated from other marketing channels. A marketing strategy helps you to spot and seize these opportunities.

10. Flat Sales And Profits

If your sales are flat, and your profits are flat or non-existent, you feel like you're stuck in a rut.

Boost your sales and profits.

Lastly, if you find your sales and profits are flat, this is a sure sign you need to rethink your marketing strategy. Integrating sales with a well-executed marketing strategy can help you target your most profitable customers, differentiate your offering, and ultimately drive business growth.

Recognizing and admitting that you're suffering from these symptoms is the first step towards a cure. The next step is taking action. And that's where the AI Prompts for Building a Marketing Strategy toolkit can truly make a difference. Start creating your complete marketing strategy with this prompts and 
see the difference a focused and efficient marketing strategy can make to your bottom line.

Are you ready to turn these symptoms into solutions?

 

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The New Kingdom of Content for B2B Marketing TopRank at B2B Ignite London

As we sink into the realm of “do more with less” in B2B Marketing, the shiny sirens of generative AI content are all around us. But the way to rule a B2B brand’s content kingdom is not artificial. It is through a hybrid of humanity and technology that B2B marketers can effectively attract, engage and pull prospects over the line to become customers in this time of challenge and change.

But what does this art and science B2B marketer look like? How can a hybrid approach make our content smarter, more meaningful and powerful?

That’s exactly what I will be sharing in my presentation at the 2023 B2B Ignite conference in London. This will be my second time presenting at the event in the UK and I’m excited to share how our team at TopRank Marketing are helping client brands like Adobe EMEA and LinkedIn achieve significant wins with trusted, best answer content that is data informed and optimized for the experiences buyers are looking for.

Joel Harrison & Lee Odden at BtoB Summit Paris

Beyond sharing the learnings of our B2B marketing agency and clients, I am looking forward to learning from the excellent roster of speakers my pal Joel Harrison has lined up for the event. I had the pleasure of keynoting the BtoB Summit conference in Paris along with Joel and he’s a tough act to follow.

Here are some of the sessions I am looking forward to at B2B Ignite in London for 2023:

Reimagining the relationship between marketing and our buyers
Antonia Wade
Global chief marketing officer at PwC

The Three Alignments: How AI drives dramatic revenue production outcomes
Kerry Cunningham
Research & Thought Leadership, 6sense

Mastering marketing in a tech-driven world: Fall in love with the problem, not the solution
Edward Greig
Chief Disruptor, Deloitte

How to integrate AI into your content team – and keep everyone’s job
Ben Lee
PR & Content Manager, Bidwells

How storytelling can help you do more with less
Anthony Tasgal
Trainer, Author, Strategist at POV Marketing and Research Ltd

MASTERCLASS: Value marketing framework: How to create a value-based Marketing Strategy through CX
Barbara Stewart
Propolis Expert for Customer Experience, B2B Marketing

WORKSHOP: How to deploy and maintain a best-in-class social selling program
Dan Swift
CEO, Numentum

ROUNDTABLE: Aligning communities and experiences to drive marketing ROI
Michael Barnett
CEO, InGo

If you are attending B2B Ignite in London in 2023, I hope to see you at the conference. There will be two days jam packed with all the information B2B marketers will need to succeed in 2023 and beyond.

And if you are keen on leaning into more data informed and credible content that helps your B2B brand become the best answer for your customers, then don’t miss my presentation on Thursday June 29 at 2:00pm: The New Kingdom of Content in 2023 and How to Wear the Crown. I hope to see you there!

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Weekend Favs June 24

Weekend Favs June 24 written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

My weekend blog post routine includes posting links to a handful of tools or great content I ran across during the week.

I don’t go into depth about the finds, but I encourage you to check them out if they sound interesting. The photo in the post is a favorite for the week from an online source or one I took on the road.

• Sivi – This tool turns your texts into a variety of visual content instantly using AI. It follows a human design process that generates multiple visual design variations within 2 minutes for your brand.
  
• GA4 Auditor – This tool gives you a complete Google Analytics 4 audit report with a customized action plan in minutes and in just 3 steps. This will identify and fix any errors in your analytics account, so you can get the most out of your data.
• 500apps – An All-in-One SaaS suite platform that provides 50 apps, extensions, and plugins to enhance your team’s productivity across all business departments. Their goal is to help you grow your business and run it like a Fortune 500.
  
  

These are my weekend favs; I would love to hear about some of yours – Tweet me @ducttape

If you want to check out more Weekend Favs you can find them here.

 

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Elevate B2B Marketing News Weekly Roundup: B2B Marketers Using More AI & The B2B Creativity Formula

How B2B Marketers Feel About AI
79 percent of U.S. B2B marketers plan to use more AI in their efforts during the next 12 months, with a leading 41 percent considering investment in AI over the next two years for personalizing the customer experience, 40 percent for content generation, and 36 percent for automated customer interactions, according to newly-published B2B AI survey data. MarketingProfs

More B2B Companies Go Big on Branding
Despite just five percent of potential B2B buyers being in the market for a solution or product at any given time, 2023 is coming in as the right time to invest in building brand preferences, as more B2B firms cast wider nets when it comes to finding new buyers, and the Association of National Advertisers takes a look. ANA

Google Announces Google Analytics 4 & AdSense Integration
Search giant Google has rolled out a new integration between its flagship Google Analytics 4 performance measurement tools and its longstanding Google AdSense program, as the company looks to lessen advertiser data discrepancies between AdSense and Universal Analytics, Google recently announced. Search Engine Journal

Where Do PR Pros See Future Use Cases for AI?
68 percent of public relations professionals have said that they would use AI for research and list-building in PR, with 54 percent expecting future AI use in monitoring and measurement, while 52 percent pointed to monitoring — three of numerous findings within newly-published survey data of interest to B2B marketers. MarketingCharts

EU lawmakers vote for tougher AI rules as draft moves to final stage
Disclosure of the specific copyrighted content used in the training of any large language models implemented in AI would need to be disclosed, among other safeguards that the European Commission is seeking, as it drafts the rules that may form forthcoming legislation, European Union lawmakers recently announced. Reuters

Adobe is so confident its Firefly generative AI won’t breach copyright that it’ll cover your legal bills
Adobe enterprise users creating content with the firm’s new Firefly creative generative AI engine will received indemnification coverage, as Adobe looks to stand behind the safety of AI content despite potential future legal challenges, and Fast Company takes a look. Fast Company

LinkedIn Tests AI Prompts For Ad Generation In ‘Campaign Manager’
Microsoft-owned LinkedIn has begun testing the optional use of generative AI from OpenAI GPT models in the process of creating advertising on the professional social platform, incorporating automated variations of ad copy, LinkedIn recently announced. MediaPost

Why We Need a New Formula for Creativity in B-to-B Advertising
With the B2B sector representing over 50 percent of the economy, as B2B brands begin utilizing more B2C-like marketing efforts, the role of creativity in B2B has risen, and LinkedIn’s (client) Peter Weinberg and Jon Lombardo take an in-depth look for Adweek. Adweek

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“Though some might think b-to-b is all about technology and targeting, our research suggests that creativity is where you can find the biggest competitive edge.” — Peter Weinberg & @JonLombardo
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Meta Announces Future Plans For Reels Ads, AI At Cannes Lions
Facebook and Instagram parent Meta will roll out enhanced advertising in its Instagram Reels format, with an array of forthcoming AI-powered media editing features and new chatbot technology, Meta recently announced during the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. MediaPost

Instagram Adds New Option to Include Music Tracks in Notes
Instagram has launched a new feature that allows users of the social platform to incorporate music tracks within private Instagram Notes, providing new audience connection possibilities as more B2B brands turn to private social engagements, Instagram announced recently. Social Media Today

ON THE LIGHTER SIDE:

A lighthearted look at “Impact of ChatGPT” by Marketoonist Tom Fishburne — Marketoonist

50 Years of Text Games parses the rich history of a foundational genre — Ars Technica

TOPRANK MARKETING & CLIENTS IN THE NEWS:

• Ty Heath / LinkedIn — B2B advertising doesn’t need to be boring: why creativity is a key driver of profitability — ClickZ
• TopRank Marketing — 25 Popular Blogs about Content Marketing You Should Check — Adsy
• Lee Odden — The Proof is Out There: Experts Discuss the Reality and Future of Buyer-level Intent Data — NetLine

FRIDAY FIVE B2B MARKETING FAVORITES TO FOLLOW:

Mari Smith @MariSmith
Tamara McCleary @TamaraMcCleary
Rory Vaden @roryvaden
Debra Jasper @DebraJasper
Goldie Chan @GoldieChan

Learn more about TopRank Marketing‘s mission to help elevate the B2B marketing industry.

Have you found an important B2B marketing news item that we haven’t yet covered? If so, please don’t hesitate to drop us a line in the comments below.

Thanks for joining us for this week’s edition of the Elevate B2B Marketing News, and we hope you’ll come back again next Friday for another selection of the most up-to-date and relevant B2B and digital marketing industry news. In the meantime, you can follow us on our LinkedIn page, or at @toprank on Twitter for even more timely daily news.

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10 Key Take-Aways From ANAs Masters of B2B Marketing

What can B2B marketers learn from the top presentations that were on tap during the Association of National Advertisers annual ANA Masters of B2B Marketing 2023 conference?

The event, which took place in Orlando, Florida and online, was all-B2B, all the time, and offered the latest B2B marketing insight by leading speakers including Linda Boff of GE, Toni Clayton-Hine of Ernst & Young LLP, and many other top industry speakers.

Marketing conferences offer a true wealth of benefits to marketers seeking the latest learning, new networking opportunities, and the freshest industry research and insight to increase brand awareness.

Let’s take a look at some of the top B2B marketing take-aways from the insight-filled ANA Masters of B2B Marketing 2023 conference, in the form of social messages surrounding the conference that have particularly resonated with B2B marketers.

1 — 1st & 3rd Party Data + AI Drives Account-Based Marketing Success

1st party + 3rd party data combined with AI is a great way to start small in account based sales and marketing. Excellent presentation by @LataneConant of @6senseInc at #ANAB2B! ?? pic.twitter.com/qLkd2a41mG

— Marisa Lather (@MarketerMarisa) June 7, 2023

2 — Human Needs Go Beyond Mere Buzz With Brand Experiences

When we “talk” about B2B marketing – we like to get all buzz-wordy. BUT…we’re all human! Great study from B2B International showcasing human need! #ANAB2B https://t.co/kkGmk5lFlL

— Sean Brown (@seanbrownignite) June 7, 2023

3 — Become An Open-Source Marketer

Be an open-source marketer. Share. Collectively come together, trade notes, share knowledge. Great tips from Vincent Bahk of @FISGlobal at #ANAB2B! pic.twitter.com/M0R8NcYDNV

— Marisa Lather (@MarketerMarisa) June 7, 2023

4 — Be A Mentor & Make Customers The Hero

“We are not Luke Skywalker, as marketers we are Obi-Wan, we are mentors focused on making our customers the hero”

As a HUGE bonus, here are his 10 Key Takeaways from today’s session at the ANA Masters of B2B Marketing. Thx for sharing your wisdom @GregBoosin #ANAB2B #Mastercard pic.twitter.com/967rm9fnf8

— Michael Donnelly (@MichaelDonnelly) June 6, 2023

5 — Help Ease The Spaghetti Bowl of Today’s B2B Buying

“It’s super hard to be a b2b customer today”

Count agree more Jeff!#anab2b pic.twitter.com/99ydr6Ob4b

— Jon Busby (@busbyjon) June 5, 2023

6 — Embrace B2B Simplicity Over Complex Counting

“Instead of glorifying the complexity of B2B Marketing, let’s simplify. Everything starts with the customer.” @faderp @Wharton #ANAB2B

This.??Too much B2B resource is spent on tech to count what happened and not enough researching the customer needs to begin with.

— anne hunter (@FollowAnne) June 6, 2023

7 — The B2B Marketing Magic of Decisive Messaging

3 vital questions to create a magical #marketing campaign:
1. What do you want people to know?
2. What do you want people to do?
3. How do you want people to feel?#ANAB2B #generalelectric @lindaboff pic.twitter.com/kvBKddpkhe

— Michael Donnelly (@MichaelDonnelly) June 6, 2023

8 — Measure To Manage In B2B Marketing

This hits home for me right now! “You can’t manage what you can’t measure” – @faderp of University of Pennsylvania from his session “Take the Leas by Focusing on the Customer” at the #ANAB2B marketing masters conference. #b2bmarketing pic.twitter.com/6g1yIJcrZQ

— Brianna Miller (@BriannaMill3r) June 6, 2023

9 — The First-Reach B2B Reward

Two-thirds of #B2B sales go to the company that reaches out first. #ANAB2B @gregboosin @mastercard pic.twitter.com/om0lNDW3ma

— Marisa Lather (@MarketerMarisa) June 6, 2023

10 — The Importance of Making Good B2B Decisions in Bad Times

.@lishaperez, Partnership Lead, The B2B Institute at @LinkedIn highlights why marketers especially need to make good decisions during bad times. #anab2b pic.twitter.com/JkyMhNxilJ

— Dov Hoffman (@dovhoffman) June 6, 2023

Elevate B2B Marketing With Event Insights

Through its series of events, the ANA and the speakers it has gathered together have helped raise the bar in B2B marketing.

We hope that the insight we’ve shared here will help you in your own efforts to elevate B2B marketing throughout 2023 and beyond.

To find upcoming B2B marketing events be sure to check out our “50+ Top 2023 B2B Marketing Events To Learn From.”

More than ever before, creating award-winning B2B marketing that elevates, gives voice to talent, and humanizes with authenticity takes considerable time and effort, which is why more brands are choosing to work with a top digital marketing agency such as TopRank Marketing. Contact us to learn how we can help, as we’ve done for over 20 years for businesses ranging from LinkedIn, Dell and 3M to Adobe, Oracle, monday.com and many others.

Ready to elevate your B2B brand? Connect with our team to learn more today!

Schedule A Call

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How To Turn Adversity Into Purpose Through Mindset

How To Turn Adversity Into Purpose Through Mindset written by John Jantsch read more at Duct Tape Marketing

Marketing Podcast with Siri Lindley

In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, I interview Siri Lindley. She is a two-time world champion triathlete and winner of twelve ITU World Cup races. She’s the top female triathlon coach in the world, she’s guided Olympic medalists and Ironman champions to not only become better athletes but also better people. Siri is also a life coach, keynote speaker, and the Founder of two non-profit organizations.

Her upcoming book Finding a Way: Taking the Impossible and Making it Possible. This life-giving guide is for readers who are feeling stuck between the life they want to live and the life that they’re living now. It gives you the tools and strategies you need to find a way through your struggles and on to triumph.

Key Takeaway:

Siri shares her inspiring journey emphasizing the importance of taking control of one’s life and mindset in order to overcome challenges and achieve personal growth. She explains the power of making conscious decisions, focusing on what one wants, and taking responsibility for one’s experiences. She attributes her survival and thriving to her belief in herself and the meaning she assigned to her challenges. Furthermore, she highlights how failure becomes an opportunity for learning and growth, while gratitude, support, and living with purpose and love are essential in everyone’s journey.

Questions I ask Siri Lindley:

• [02:04] Your life has some pretty amazing chapters. So did you find a way to condense it into your book?
• [04:46] How did you get involved in triathlon?
• [06:22] At the top of your game you’re diagnosed with a disease that gave you around a 5% chance of survival. How did that change the game?
• [08:52] How much of your beliefs do you attribute to actually surviving?
• [12:23] I know you have accomplished a lot already, but I suspect that surviving when you weren’t expected to, drives you to say, who am I not to accomplish more, right?
• [15:43] You coach athletes and non-athletes as a life coach. Is there really a difference in terms of how you break through?
• [17:03] As a triathlete, how much of your success is mindset?
• [20:47] Tell me a little bit about your nonprofits.

More About Siri Lindley:

• Get your copy of Finding a Way: Taking the Impossible and Making it Possible. For every book sold, $2 is donated to Feeding America and the rest of the profits go to Siri’s non-profit Believe Ranch and Rescue.
• Get a free chapter of Finding a Way by texting “GOFIRST” to 66866

More About The Agency Certification Intensive Training:

• Learn more about the Agency Certification Intensive Training here

Take The Marketing Assessment:

• Marketingassessment.co

Like this show? Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please!

Duct Tape Transcript

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John Jantsch (00:00): Hey, did you know that HubSpot's annual inbound conference is coming up? That's right. It'll be in Boston from September 5th through the 8th. Every year inbound brings together leaders across business, sales, marketing, customer success, operations, and more. You'll be able to discover all the latest must know trends and tactics that you can actually put into place to scale your business in a sustainable way. You can learn from industry experts and be inspired by incredible spotlight talent. This year. The likes of Reese Witherspoon, Derek Jeter, Guy Raz, are all going to make appearances. Visit inbound.com and get your ticket today. You won't be sorry. This programming is guaranteed to inspire and recharge. That's right. Go to inbound.com to get your ticket today.

(01:03): Hello and welcome to another episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast. This is John ch, and my guest today is Siri Lindley. She is a two-time world champion triathlete and winner of twelve ITU World Cup races. She’s the top female triathlon coach in the world, she’s guided Olympic medalists and Ironman champions to not only become better athletes but also better people. Siri is also a life coach, keynote speaker, and the Founder of two non-profit organizations: Believe Ranch and Rescue, and Horses in Our Hands Survivor and Thriver. And we're gonna talk about her new book: Finding a Way: taking the Impossible and Making It Possible. So welcome to the show.

Siri Lindley (01:47): Well, thank you for having me, John. I'm thrilled to be here.

John Jantsch (01:51): So you took just like the most traditional path available to becoming a coach and author, and so your life has, and I'm sure you've spent a lot of time telling this, your life has some pretty amazing chapters. So have you found a way to kind of condense it into here's, you know, here's my background?

Siri Lindley (02:13): Well, you're exactly right. And I think every single one of us have different chapters in our lives. And what I've realized in my life is that it's been through my greatest challenges that I of course, experienced the greatest growth. And in those moments, you know, the decisions that I made in order to move out of a space of suffering are exactly the decisions that move me forward towards the life that I dreamed of living. But I think that my story, you know, as a kid, as a college student, I was overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. I was a student at Brown University, three sport varsity athlete, but on the inside I was just slowly dying. I was really suffering with anxiety. And in those days, people didn't talk about anxiety, they didn't talk about fear, they didn't talk about ocd. So I thought I was just this crazy person.

(03:17): And this kind of led me to my greatest mentor, Tony Robbins, with his first book that he'd written Unlimited Power. And this book woke me up to the truth that I am the conductor of my own symphony of life. And if I don't like the music I'm creating, which I didn't, I was very unhappy. I'm the only one that has power to change me. And I think so often we forget that life is in our hands and we need to own the experience that we're having because what we're experiencing in life is a result of what we're focusing on. The meaning we're giving things and the decisions that we make, what we choose to do about it. And at that time, I was creating a tragedy. So I decided that instead of always focusing on everything that was missing, everything that was wrong, anding, that I had no control over everything that I didn't wanna have happen, that I was gonna use the same discipline that I put into my studies and in my sports, and use that to discipline my focus in as many moments as possible to focus on what I wanted, what I loved, what I had, and what I could control.

(04:31): And that started, kind of took me out of this horrible space I was in at that time, leading me to wanting to figure out who the heck I am. Because are, yeah, sorry, you,

John Jantsch (04:43): You, you were an athlete, but you did you just wake up one day and say, I'm gonna try the hardest sport possible, and oh, and by the way, I can't swim.

Siri Lindley (04:51): Right? So I'd been a field hockey, ice hockey and lacrosse player, but I, at the time when I found triathlon, I actually had just discovered that I was gay. And it was a big discovery that was scary at that time. And my father, my hero, didn't respond very well to that. And I lost my father when he realized that I was gay. So this kind of set me on this desperate mission. Mm-hmm.

(05:49): Find more within themselves. So even though I didn't know how to swim after watching that, I said, this is what I wanna do. And for me, for my sake to earn my own love, my own respect, I am going to, one day I'm gonna set the, the, the goal that one day I'm gonna be the best in the world, which was ridiculous. My first race, dead last, my first race, I'm yelled at, you know, people laughing at me. But for me, there was a really important reason why I at least had to show up and lean in and try.

John Jantsch (06:21): So at the top of that game, you're diagnosed with a disease that gave you somewhere around 5% chance of survival. So how did that change the game

Siri Lindley (06:34): In every way? I mean, it's in that moment, I think I'd spent my lifetime up until that point wanting to find freedom from within, wanting to find freedom from my pain, freedom to be all of who I am. And I'd found it, you know, I'd found it. And then I get this diagnosis and it brought me to my knees. But in the same note, like I'll never forget standing there with my wife, finally I'd found the love of my life. And the doctor is talking to me and saying, Siri, you know, you've got a myeloid leukemia, you've got a genetic mutation. And my wife is screaming at the top of her lungs, I hear his voice, and the story I'm hearing is this is the end. And I wasn't willing to live that story. So in that moment, even though I didn't believe it myself, I said, I'm gonna survive and I'm going to thrive.

(07:33): Now think about this, John, even though I didn't like, did I believe that in that moment? No, I'm terrified. I'm brought to my knees, I'm devastated, but I couldn't afford to live. Imagine how I would show up if I agreed that this is the end. Mm-hmm.

John Jantsch (08:49): How, and I suspect this is still hard to talk about sometimes, but how much of that belief do you attribute to actually surviving

Siri Lindley (08:59): All of it? Because think about this. I mean, the meaning you give something determines how you show up, what energy you show up with, which then determines the actions that you take. And I believe that was the most important thing, was deciding, knowing that my outcome was to survive this, my outcome. And I remember saying it, you know, I walked into the first big meeting I had with my medical team, and when I walked in, I could see the looks on their faces. And it was that look of like, oh my God, she's so young and this is so sad. And I walked in and I said, look, I'm gonna survive this and I'm gonna thrive on the other side. This is gonna be my most beautiful triumph. And if there is anyone here that doesn't believe in that, I need you to leave. Because I need to surround myself with people that believe as much as I do that this is possible.

(09:57): So think about like, who are you surrounding yourself with mm-hmm.

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(12:22): So I have heard, you know, many people who have overcome such adversity survived, uh, when they weren't expected to, you know, come out of the other side of that with like, well now I really, I have a debt to pay, right? I mean, I now have to, like, you had accomplished a lot already, but I suspect that that drives you to say, you know, who am I not to accomplish more?

Siri Lindley (12:43): 1000000%, John. I mean, you're spot on with that. And you know, I lost a lot of friends that were on the same clinical trials as me, as me, and I'm not gonna live this life with survivor's guilt. I'm gonna live this life with survivor's responsibility, that I have a responsibility to bring every ounce of my soul into this world and to hopefully make a positive difference in the world and every human that I encounter. And that's where this book was born. You know, that there was a very powerful moment as I, where I was really sick and I actually didn't know, you know, God, what if I'm not here tomorrow? Mm-hmm.

(13:37): And as I thought about it, you know, there were certain things that, that were the most important to me. And that was, did I love with all my heart? Did I love everyone in my life? Did I show them love? Did I tell them I love them? Did I love what I did? Did I love myself? Like, like did I love with all my heart? Did I live fear fearlessly? Meaning did I say yes to things that scared the crap out of me? Yeah, I had, you know, I did triathlon, I sucked. That was scary. I did it. So that was fearless. But you know, there are other things I can do more. I can be more. And lastly, you know, did I make a difference in the world? And I had, you know, with my athletes, I touched their lives. I made a difference.

(14:25): But I thought, God, there's just so much more that I can do. In that moment, John, in that moment of reflection that was really difficult in that moment, I realized what my purpose in life is. My purpose in life is to love with all my heart, to bring love into the world, and you know, to live fearlessly, to be an example, and to every single day try and make a difference in this world. And so when people ask like, why did I write this book now? It's because this book is all those things. This book is my mission, this book is my purpose. This book delivers all of that. And for me, I just know that it's gonna help so many people because this isn't a book about me, it's a book about me saying, Hey John, let me take your hand. You know, I'll tell you my story, but now, you know, let's do a little deep dive into what matters most to you, and let's find a way for you to overcome challenges that seem insurmountable. Let's find a way for you to make the impossible possible. And that's my gift. And I know that hopefully it will be a gift to everyone that reads it.

John Jantsch (15:42): So, so you coach athletes and you also coach non-athletes as a life coach. Is there a difference, really? Obviously they have different, totally different goals and things, but is there really a difference in terms of how you break through

Siri Lindley (15:55): John? I love that question because I had a hilarious, so I had an athlete, Merinda Carre of four time world champion, coached her for 14 years. And just in the last couple of years, I've really moved away from coaching triathletes and more coaching humans. And I was having a conversation with her and she said, but Siri, you've always been a life coach. And I'm like, what are you talking about? She said, oh my God. Like, yes, you coach swimming, biking, and running, but you are much more a life coach than like a swim bike and run coach. And so it occurred to me that this isn't anything different at all. I'm just actually calling it what it should have been called all along. So that's such a good question. I love that you caught that because no, it's the same thing. A minus the going to the pool and you know, showing people how to swim and all the technical details. But I'm just continuing everything that I've done for 25 years.

John Jantsch (16:56): Well, most life coaching is about mindset changing or mindset adopting. And I mean, as a triathlete, how much of your success is mindset?

Siri Lindley (17:07): I, I would say, and I tell my athletes this, I know people talk about 80% mental, 20% physical. Right? I actually think it's more, I think it's like 90% mental, 10% physical. And any time you see an athlete struggling at any point in their career, it's a mental shift that's needed, not a physical one. Yeah. And so for that reason, there is, it's like, you know, you have a, a formula with your duct tape marketing, you have a formula and it's, you know, you're showing people how to achieve and how to repeat those results and to continue to, like, it's the same thing with as we stay attuned to our mental state and what we're bringing to the table, whether it be in business, in sport, and our lives and our relationships, as we pay attention to that and we put the same formula to that, you can have that continued success. And it is absolutely crucial. It's staying, it's keeping you connected to, you know, what matters most to you, why you're doing this in the first place, and staying connected to that and staying connected to a mindset that is gonna see you every single day, no matter whether you're in a good time or a bad time, it's gonna see you moving forward, not back. And that's the key.

John Jantsch (18:28): You know, it's funny, I think a lot of times when people think of athletes, all, all they really see is race day. Right? And I always laugh, I, because I think entrepreneurs, you know, are, it's race day every day,

Siri Lindley (18:57): That's right. And I think, you know, uh, the thing about being an athlete, you may have a race once a month, but it's day after day, showing up, leaning in and doing the work. You know, it took me eight years from when I started triathlon to become a world champion. It didn't happen overnight. And there was a lot of failure involved. And I think this is crucial to, let's look at your definition of success and failure. Let's create definitions of those two things that actually see you building momentum and succeeding every day. For me, success was progress. If I make a tiny bit of progress every single day, either physically, mentally, emotionally, I'm succeeding. And then for me, failure was learning. Mm-hmm.

John Jantsch (20:09): Yeah. I, from years of hindsight, um,

Siri Lindley (20:27): Yes. I love that attitude. And here's the thing, that attitude serves you. It does. So why would you give it any other meaning that's gonna make you feel bad or discourage you or you lose confidence? Like, don't do that. Like give things a meaning that is actually gonna empower you and move you forward.

John Jantsch (20:45): Yeah. Tell me a bit about your, your nonprofits. You obviously there's, I I can barely see a picture of a horse there as a part of it. So tell me a little bit about Rescue Ranch, I'm sorry. Believe Ranch and Rescue, and then Horses in Our Hands Survivor and Thriver.

Siri Lindley (21:00): RWell believe ranch and Rescue. We actually rescue horses from slaughter. 60,000 horses a year when we started, were being slaughtered for human consumption. And it was just a horrific practice. This horse came into my life and changed me in a matter of months. And when I got online and looked up, why did I need to rescue a horse, that's when I realized what was happening. So that was about six years ago. Since then, we've saved 265 horses. Hmm. Most of whom have gone on to heal humans. So it's come full circle. They are incredible healers, people with anxiety, trauma, P T S D, people facing, you know, really dire diagnoses. It's just the work that we do almost every weekend is just so profoundly, uh, transformative for people. So, but from that, we'd rescued 265 horses and we thought, you know, this is a bandaid.

(22:00): So we formed another nonprofit horses in our Hands, which is a 5 0 1 C four, which is lobbying in Washington DC to actually pass a bill that will ban this once and for all. And through our Raising Awareness campaign, we've reached 84 million homes. Wow. Sent about 250,000 letters. And the numbers of horses being slaughtered has gone from 60,000 to 23,000 last year. So even though the bill hasn't passed, our work has really had an impact on, in raising awareness, lowering that number. You know, 40,000 horses are still here today. Yeah. Thanks to our work. So it's very important work for us because it's saving the horses who are saving the humans, and that just feels like the ultimate privilege to do this kind of work.

John Jantsch (22:50): Awesome. Well, we didn't get into chapter by chapter on, uh, finding a Way, but I really wanted to have, uh, people here a sense of you, because that comes through in the book as well. But, uh, please invite people to where they might connect or find, find the book, or whatever you wanna share.

Siri Lindley (23:05): Awesome. Well, finding a way, taking Impossible and making it possible forward, written by Tony Robbins, my greatest mentor.

John Jantsch (23:13): Yeah, I, I meant to point that out. I mean, you mentioned that was a book that really impacted you. Obviously Tony Robbins didn't know who you were at that point, and now to come, you know, full circle with that to where he writes the forward and he does a testimonial video, that's pretty, pretty awesome.

Siri Lindley (23:27): Yeah, I, it feels he's just, he truly has lit the path for me, for my entire life without even knowing it. But to have him write the forward just means everything to me. So that's pretty special. But if you want to download a, a free chapter text, GOFIRST to 6, 6 8, 6 6, and you'll get a free chapter. Mm-hmm.

John Jantsch (24:31): Love to work. Thank, thank you so much. I appreciate you stopping by the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, and hopefully we'll run into you one of these days out there on the road.

Siri Lindley (24:39): Can't wait. Thank you, John.

John Jantsch (24:41): Hey, and one final thing before you go. You know how I talk about marketing strategy, strategy before tactics? Well, sometimes it can be hard to understand where you stand in that, what needs to be done with regard to creating a marketing strategy. So we created a free tool for you. It's called the Marketing Strategy Assessment. You can find it @marketingassessment.co, not.com. Co. Check out our free marketing assessment and learn where you are with your strategy today. That's just marketing assessment.co. Atd. Love to chat with you about the results that you get.

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