"The Best Marketing Isn't Sell-sy." with Ashlan Glazier-Anderson, on Mission-Driven Marketing, Reading, More Celebration in Life, and The...

Transcript:
0:12
Hello everyone, welcome to The Intersection, a podcast program about intersectionality, intersectional identity, and intersectional journeys.
Both professional and personal journeys and as we all know, they are very interconnected.
0:31
And today is June 20.
It is a summer solstice in the Northern hemisphere and June is a very intersectional month.
As we mentioned in previous episodes, it is Pride Month.
As we all know, it is also Immigrant Heritage Month, as well as PTSD Awareness Month and Men's Mental Health Awareness Month and when and yesterday we celebrated Juneteenth and then we also had Father's Day and of course, today's summer solstice.
1:03
So June is a very rich, colorful and intersectional month.
And I'm hoping, you know, folks out there are celebrating and taking care of each other.
And today I have the pleasure and honor to welcome a peer and a friend and a colleague.
1:21
Her name is Ashlyn Glazier Anderson and Ashlyn is the founder and CEO of Ashby PDX, which is a marketing firm.
And Ashlyn actually right now is based out in Vegas.
1:38
And we connected via, I think, American Marketing Association PDX chapter a few years ago and we reconnected recently and I just realized, oh, I want you to be my guest.
So here she is.
1:55
Welcome, Ashlyn.
Thanks for having me, Joe.
I appreciate it.
Yeah, I think we met in Kovid.
Yes, like, yeah.
In COVID, so it's been so long.
But yeah, it was via Zoom.
Like I think a Zoom coffee chat or something like that, which is awesome.
2:13
Yeah, I bring my, I think my brain just entirely like filtered out COVID.
Oh.
Totally.
Yeah.
Well, I mean, there's also people that I realize that I know from like the COVID times because like online and virtual stuff just got going that I'm like, I realized I was like, I actually have never been in like physical like space with them.
2:34
So I think that's also always like very, very strange because I do have a lot of folks that I, that I keep in touch with like in other parts of the country that I'm like, are we ever going to see each other?
Or it's really, it's really fun when we do finally get an opportunity to like meet up as well.
2:50
Yeah, yeah.
It feels like the whole kind of network or social, our social life has entirely changed because of the pandemic.
And I mean, we did hang out when you were in Portland and then you moved in Vegas.
3:06
So I would love to invite you to share your journey, you know, as a professional marketer and right now you are the, I think it's been quite some time since you started running Ash Bean.
So maybe share your journey a little bit with us.
Yeah, Yeah.
3:22
I mean, I was telling somebody this the other day.
My journey in marketing actually started in high school.
So I took marketing.
I had run out of electives to take in high school.
And so the marketing folks who were in the marketing class, we got to run the student store.
3:41
So like we got to be in there like during like breaks and stuff like selling candy bars and like sodas and stuff like that.
So that was really, really fun to be a part of that.
And then we also had an opportunity like to always go to basketball games there.
4:00
There was a lot of like opportunities to like just be out of school by being in that group.
So that was the that was the general appeal of it.
But I really also loved it because I feel like because I started learning about marketing so young, it's just it's like a natural part of my brain.
4:17
So I've grown up thinking about it.
And when it became time to choose a major in College in a direction, I actually really liked psychology and I really liked marketing.
And then I looked into like, what the career paths and opportunities were.
And I was like, I can still do a lot of psychology stuff in marketing because it's like the study of human behavior and what makes us buy things and like what, you know, what appeals to certain folks.
4:42
So that was really, really fun to be a part of that.
And then I went to yeah, studied it in college, didn't go to grad school till much later.
And everybody always is like, oh, you got an MBA?
And I was like, I don't, I have a master's in strategic communications because I went to Portland State and their program was designed kind of aligned similar to an MBA.
5:04
So you took like management courses, you took finance and accounting and all these different things.
So my, my counselor there was just like, hey, you would basically be redoing your 400 levels at 500 levels.
5:20
Like it doesn't really make sense for you to come back and do an MBA.
So it took me 10 years to figure it out, but I ended up going to U of O in their Stratcom program, which was really fun.
So I worked, I guess right out of college, I worked for what I consider a more traditional advertising agency.
5:42
I started as a front desk receptionist.
I learned how to answer a six line phone system and transfer calls.
And like, you know, it'd be that person that had her hands in a lot of different projects 'cause I just kind of became like a support person to all the different teams.
6:01
I was there for about four years, but there was no upward mobility there, so I didn't really have like a job to step into.
I survived the 2008, you know, the crash of 2008 we had.
They had gone through some downsizing and I survived.
6:18
And then I ended up moving on to work at Fred Meyer Jewelers in their marketing department.
So supporting their team as a assistant, I eventually switched over to being on their e-commerce team where I helped lead their vendor onboarding program.
6:40
So if you if you buy things online, like many well known retailers do this, they have programs where the vendor or the manufacturer that creates the product actually ships direct to the customer.
So my job was to onboard our vendors, teach them how to send things so that the customer would have no idea this was coming from, you know, a jeweler in New York as opposed to the distribution center in Portland.
7:09
So I did that for total about six years.
And then I also was running into the same issue.
I was not moving, moving up.
I was not giving, being given promotional opportunities, even though along the way I was collecting unpaid labour.
So I was part of the cultural council and I was part of the communications like council and all these different things.
7:30
But because of my capacity to do more than just, you know, what I was hired to do.
And I was around that time that I met, it's actually through a Max list event that there were folks who were tabling from the University of Oregon and just raving about the their masters program.
7:49
And that's how I decided to go in that direction.
And somewhere in the background of all of this, I was volunteering at the American Marketing Association.
I had been volunteering with another nonprofit that was near and dear to my heart, Buddy's 360, that has since closed down.
8:09
But I, I loved the work that nonprofits did.
So about two months before I graduated with my masters, I got an opportunity to work for friends with the children's national office doing their digital marketing.
And that was kind of my foray into more purpose driven, mission driven work.
8:30
And actually I skipped over it.
I did have a stint and about a year and a half, a little bit over a year and a half stint with a digital marketing agency where I learned all about Google ads.
I had never had experience with them before.
It was all completely learned on the job, learned about other forms of kind of digital marketing as well.
8:53
And then when this position internally at Friends of the Children came up, it was it was nice to be able to do it in house instead of kind of advising clients on the outside as an account manager.
So I was there.
And then after a couple of years, honestly, I wasn't making the salary that I wanted.
9:12
And so I got an opportunity to start Ashbeam PDX marketing as a side gig, as a side hustle, doing something for a friend's mom.
And then I formed an LLC, a business LLC to do that.
And then after that project wrapped up, I started doing market research calls and asking different people that I assumed were in my like the target audience that I would want to work with questions just to understand, like, what were their needs in the marketing space?
9:43
Like what do they pay people to actually do this stuff?
You know, what are the, what are the words and terms that they're saying that that I can like look for and listen for And out of one of those market research calls.
At the end of it, the person I had interviewed was like, hey, do you want to do this for us?
10:01
And I was like, completely shocked I didn't have an answer for that.
And then she's like, you can think about it, but like, this is the kind of support that we need.
And that was my first client and she is still with me till this day.
So 4 1/2 years later, yeah, we still work together and it's been history ever since.
10:18
So I did, I did end up switching jobs at some point.
I I worked in another nonprofit as their digital marketing manager for about 7 months.
But from the time I started my business to the time that it had grown big enough to basically replace my, my income at this job, it took me 15 months to focus, focus and getting clients and figuring out my work flows to do that.
10:45
And so in May of 2022 is when I, I say, I really stepped full time into working as a marketing, a fractional marketing person for a bunch of different organizations.
And I love the work that I do.
11:01
It's been, that's been one of the greatest things about this is being able to choose, choose who you work with and also being able to make a greater impact with more organizations.
So yeah, so I worked agency in house, agency in house and now started my own agency so I can work on it.
11:20
A lot of different projects with a lot of very cool people.
That's a fast, like a fantastic and fascinating and awesome kind of back story.
I mean, the fact that you worked at all kinds of organizations basically allowed you to develop all kinds of skills and now you are the boss basically.
11:43
And I do want to mention it sounded like the fact that every time you left a job because you were not being appreciated enough.
Yeah, yeah.
And I wasn't getting fulfillment from them, yes.
12:00
Yeah, that's kind of like there's always this story, I think for like a lot of entrepreneurs is because they don't feel fulfilled at that job, they are not paid enough, the unpaid labor and emotional burden, etcetera, etcetera, eventually forced them to look to a different direction.
12:23
I think that's really interesting because you know, it feels like every time there's a roadblock, it's an opportunity.
It is very frustrating that oftentimes the roadblock is women professionals not being appreciated.
12:41
Yes, yes, yes.
Or it happens after you decide to leave.
So you hear from folks like there was one, I, I, you know, I did an exit interview with one and they were like, oh, we were going to promote you.
We were waiting until after you graduated.
12:57
And I was like, why didn't you tell me?
And also, should I believe you that, you know, like, because it sounds like you want me to stay and I don't want to stay.
You're not planning on staying, you know, and there's only been one job that I did negotiate like a start date 'cause I did want to fit, like I, I really wanted to finish up a project and I was just like, yeah, they need 3 weeks also for anybody who, for anybody who's switching jobs, I have never done it where I take like the week off or two weeks off.
13:30
Take the break between the jobs.
They'll still have it waiting for you.
I and, and anybody who's hiring, let people have a break because they have a break.
They need, they need that mental space to disconnect from what they were doing before in order to do well when they come into your, your space.
13:51
But that's such a great advice.
And I mean, I'm guessing that's like lessons learned from your previous experience.
And it's like a great is so important.
It's kind of like a reset.
Like before we start something new, we need a reset.
And I feel people are still not used to it in the US.
14:11
It's like we have to, we have to keep the ball rolling.
Yes, yes.
In reality, most things are not an emergency.
Most things are not a life, life and death situation.
Like, yeah, I just it's been a while.
14:26
It's been a few weeks now, but I just watched that show on HBO Max, The Pit, which is like all about Oh my God, have you watched it?
OK, yes.
I love that show.
Very intense, yeah.
Makes me so anxious I cannot stop.
Yes, exactly.
I mean, I think we I think we stopped.
14:42
I think we stopped at the last three hours like and I was like, I got to go to bed because I got to go to bed and we'll finish like the rest of it in the morning.
But it's like because I think it's like 15 episodes.
So I watched that show for 12 basically just like 12 hours straight.
Wow.
And for folks who don't know, you should put it on your to watch list.
15:01
It's an ER like it's every hour of the ER, every episode is one hour.
And it's shows like that that give me perspective.
Like nothing I do in marketing is that, you know, it's serious, but it's not that level of severity with a few exceptions.
15:19
If your website is down, you know, like if, if there are things that are impacting your ability to like sell your products or services or some things, you know, broken that that was my fault, I will work on fixing it for you.
If it was something you broke or if it was, you know, like there's been times where like people didn't pay their freaking website bill, you know, like they're hosting bill.
15:41
I was like, yeah, that's on you, you know?
I mean, I'm not gonna put down my credit card number.
Exactly, Exactly.
Yeah, yeah.
I hear you 100%.
I think we, our society has these like kind of made-up idea of what is urgent and when we don't have a boundary, kind of like keeping us away from rushing into everything, then everything becomes an urgency.
16:09
Yeah, yeah.
So I that's a good reminder.
Also, we create our fake urgency.
Like I, I have gotten used to, you know, a lot of times when you're an entrepreneur, A solopreneur, you get to make your own deadlines on a lot of things.
16:26
And so I think being gentle with yourself, like, be like, is this the date that somebody really asked for?
Or is this the dumb date that I was like, I thought I would feel great and I would just get all this stuff done.
You know, honestly, most people are OK.
16:42
You know, if you just explain, if you talk through or, you know, like you and I just chatted this morning, like, where's that project at?
Yeah, it's, you know, and, and nobody's angry or upset about it.
You just be real and have a conversation about it.
16:58
And it's not, it doesn't need to be.
I think a lot of times we get in our head like, Oh my gosh, they're going to hate me or they're going to be mad.
And it's just like they just want a status update.
And you know, if you share what was going on, it's totally OK.
Yeah, I feel often times the sense of urgency is also created by the lack of transparency.
17:21
Like if you just have a word or two, just say, hey, where are we at?
And if people just need some clarity, give them the clarity.
Or just say, in fact, can we have more time?
Like so, oftentimes problems can be addressed in one or two questions.
17:42
Yeah.
And I think, you know, like you are, you will major in strategic communications.
I feel like you probably have a lot of tools in your department to address those kind of like this is urgent.
But is it like, yeah, yes, yes.
18:01
I want to go back to, you know, during the time when you were working with Friends of the Children, which is a purpose and mission driven or nonprofit organization.
And when you talk about being independent and fractional marketing expert, how do you practice the purpose and mission driven kind of value in your work?
18:25
Because as we all know, in conventionally marketing works for capitalism.
It it drives sales, it drives revenue, it drives desires and needs and wants, even though oftentimes those desires and needs and wants are again made-up.
18:47
So as a marketing person over the last 4-5 years, how have you been practicing the purpose and mission driven value?
Yeah, most of my clients are actually nonprofits or they're folks who are heart centered.
19:03
They have purpose driven brands.
So you actually she was on the podcast earlier.
Danielle Dinkleman is a client of mine from ACW Coaching.
I, I try to as best as possible align with entrepreneurs who are serving a higher good or they're just not, how do I describe it?
19:29
They're not doing bad things, you know, like they're not trying to take advantage of the, the consumers.
You know, they're not trying to shame or blame folks.
Like I, I think in my head, I have a, have a really sweet client who is based out of Texas.
19:45
She has a spice blend.
So she has it is, I can't ever remember.
It's like garlic, turmeric, oregano, thyme.
It might be thyme.
I can't ever remember.
All the spices are with it and it was bad on me.
20:03
But she has these chili chili pepper salts basically so that she's got Hatch jalapeno, Chipotle, habanero, cayenne and the Carolina Reaper.
And she does.
Markets in Texas because she's based out of Texas and then she sells online and then she sells in like like stores like she, she'll often be picked up with places that want like gift gift able items.
20:31
So that's how she's selling all across the country.
But you know, we made the strategic decision not to sell on Amazon because she was just like, I really don't want to support Amazon.
And she, she sent me a thing the other day where she was just like, Hey, should we, you know, should we do this?
20:49
Because that, that is one thing that I, that I do with a lot of my clients is they'll run business decisions by me.
And I'm, you know, and I'll remind them like we already, you know, we already made this decision earlier.
So it was, it was a somebody who was reselling her salts on Amazon was like, Hey, I don't want to do this anymore.
21:05
Do you want to take over the account?
And she she's like, should we do it?
And I was like, no, we already said we didn't want to sell on Amazon.
So unless that's changed in your mind, you know, then no.
And she's like, Oh my gosh, that's right.
We we did make that decision, you know, earlier this year.
21:21
But yeah, so I can also be that kind of sounding board for my clients of like you have stated this as a value and not, not in like a, you know, in a negative way or like, hey, what are you doing kind of way?
Like just being like, hey, just just a gentle reminder, you know, we decided not to do this, but I, I respect you if you have changed your mind and and I'm here, you know, to support whatever direction you you decide to take.
21:48
So yeah, that is something that I do with a lot of my clients.
And then I'm not afraid.
I am so not afraid to fire people when it doesn't feel aligned.
So I had a former client who spoke very negatively about the clients she was wanting to serve in just like a way that felt super, super icky.
22:07
And I was like, yeah, we're done.
I basically, I invoked my 30 day policy and I was like, we're done at the end of this month.
And she tried to convince me to like change my mind or she, you know, she asked what it was and, and I was trying to, you know, just be like neutral to Switzerland.
22:23
And I shared the feedback.
I was like, these were the things that that you said that were super problematic.
And then she tried to play.
She has a mental health challenge.
She's bipolar and she blamed it on that.
And I was like, didn't really feel like a man.
22:39
Like it didn't really feel like that.
And you can't blame it on your diversity.
So yeah, so I definitely also listen for those things because I just, I don't if things start to feel icky or don't feel right, I I didn't go into business to deal to do that kind of thing.
22:56
So to.
That's, that's awesome.
I think it's so it's important.
And it's also really hard to hold those values, especially when there's a lot going on.
It's easy to get distracted or sometimes confused and you'll probably ask your question like yourself questions like I do that.
23:15
It's like, should I really do that?
Or is that the right thing to do?
And then I feel when those questions come up, you go back to your value system.
It's like, is that aligned with my value?
Is it worth it?
So I so thank you for sharing.
23:31
You know, the way you kind of holding your ground and setting boundaries and even firing clients sometimes.
Yeah, yeah.
It takes cost.
Yeah, when I, you know, we live in a capitalist society like we don't, we don't have an option to not like I wish we did.
23:52
And so I try, you know, in subtle ways.
I mean, I just spoke to somebody the other day, there is a thing in that we use in nonprofits called a gift acceptance policy.
So we can, we can decide where we take money from and where we don't.
24:10
So, you know, I've worked with some nonprofits that are like, yeah, we could take money from that foundation, but they're anti LGBTQ.
So we're choosing not to like your $10,000 could really help.
However, it's harmful, you know, you're also giving, you know, $50,000 over here to, to like basically dismantle policy that is protecting folks who identify as LGBTQ plus like, so I feel the same.
24:36
Like I have, you know, my own personal money acceptance policy for my business.
What feels good and what feels bad.
And, and I, I know I come from a huge place of privilege that I had built my business enough to do that.
But I do also feel like it eats away at you.
24:55
You know, like if you're one of those people that has the, the tickle in the back of your head of like every single time you're going to be questioning yourself.
And that just puts puts so much like emotional and mental labor on you that just save yourself from the get go and know like have that mindset of abundance that more will come in.
25:15
Yes, I love that.
Can you share more about your practice of mindset?
Mindset of abundance.
Yeah, I mean, I think, I think everything happens for a reason.
Like right before we hopped on I I shared that I had a major, major client that closed at the end of last month.
25:35
I loved them.
I am still, I'm still in touch with their founder.
I'm still supporting their supporting their website from afar, their their legacy website from afar.
And you know, I was scared when when I knew like I had a long lead time to know that I was going to be sickly be losing that income, but I set myself up to gain more.
26:03
So, you know, having sales conversations with folks.
I just recently rejoined an in person networking group here in Vegas and went went to a event last night, which maybe had some leads involved.
I've got to follow up with them because sometimes when people come to your booth, they say they want to work with you.
26:22
But the follow through is, you know, where, where it comes through.
But you know, just believing that there are things that you can do to get yourself out there and just like sitting and crying inside and being like, Oh my God, where am I going to get money from?
Like, I think I was sharing with another person the other day, I have a file in my e-mail that's my kudos file.
26:44
So anytime I feel bad and I'm like, Oh my God, what am I doing?
I, you know, like I fucked up.
Oh, can I swear on this podcast?
Yes, you can.
I, I, you know what?
I think like I fucked up and I, you know, did something like that.
I go to that file and I look at all the all the people who are like, no, you did a great job and wonderful job and just like to to do the pep talk because, yeah, I think it can be very lonely being a solopreneur.
27:11
Yeah.
And.
Like thinking.
All your negative, you know, all the negative thoughts that come up and just those subtle reminders that like you have been very successful, you have done very good things and I am I do a lot of time tracking.
27:30
So I have AI have a dashboard that is just a Google sheet where I actually I mean, I track time as well as I can like in 15 minute chunks or I track like meetings that I had on the calendar and things like that because I like to look back and see what I did during the month.
27:47
Like we launched a website, we made this e-mail welcome series.
Like I think, you know, day-to-day we can forget we forget what we did.
Like, yes, you know, we forget what we ate for breakfast yesterday, or if or if we ate if we had breakfast.
28:03
You.
Know which we don't get to that level of of tracking, but you know, so that you can look back on it.
And really we because we move so fast in this country just in general and move on to the next thing.
28:20
We don't take enough time to celebrate what has already happened and what has been really good in our lives as well.
I love that.
And I really, really appreciate the kudos file idea and I might have to steal that.
28:36
And I feel maybe some listeners out there will want to try as well.
I feel we are really good at cheerleading other people, but.
Not good.
At saying to ourselves, you are doing great, you are doing the best you can and you've done great things like you said, and we don't celebrate enough and and it's a it's a real it's a real challenge for us collectively to celebrate because we.
29:07
Always.
It feels like we tend to justify.
A reason?
To do good things but need a reason to do fun things?
Yeah.
What if we just do fun things for the sake of doing fun things?
29:23
Exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah, Like I've taken up, well, I've taken up reading, which I have been trying to do this for years.
So Book Riot, I think they started in 2015.
So it's been 10 years since I've been following this.
They have what is called their Read Harder challenge.
29:41
So they give you 24 tasks to do every year to read harder.
And I've been really enjoying it because I've been reading books that I wouldn't normally pick up.
So I'm like looking over to the side because I'm looking at the ones that I have read this year.
29:59
Like one was like a horror, like a horror novel.
I have never read like I love horror movies.
I have never read like a like a true like horror suspense novel or another one was like it was really good.
30:15
She basically did like every other chapter was what would would have happened in her life.
She got like in a terrible car accident and then the other one like she didn't.
And so like I was just, I'd, I read it so fast because I was like, I have to know, like what happened, you know, on both sides.
30:31
And because I do think that we as humans think about that a lot.
Like what if we made the other decision?
What if we took the other fork in the road like and then you?
Realize it's.
Just it's in the past, like we made we made a decisive decision and this is the the, the path that we're that we're taking.
30:52
But yeah, so they're, they're things like, you know, write, read a new book that came up or that a BIPOC author wrote this year.
Read an LGBTQ like sci-fi.
I think it was I ended up reading an LGBTQ sci-fi novel.
I just finished the House Maid, which is like a suspense, like a thriller suspense 1.
31:15
I, I started on the plane ride, my last plane ride back from Portland.
And I was only 60 pages and I read the rest of like the 300 pages in like a single sitting because it was like that.
It was that good.
And then I'm reading Serge Tankian.
31:32
He's the lead singer of System of a down.
I'm reading his like memoir, auto memoir slash autobiography, which is like something I would have never picked up.
It was like, I think this particular task it's for is like read something by like a musician, a movie, like about a movie, TV show or like musician that you like as well.
31:53
So shout out to goodreads.com because I basically swiped a bunch of ideas from what other people were planning on reading.
But yeah, my goal is I think I'm done with five out of the 24.
So by the end of this year to get all the 24.
32:10
That's so cool.
And you mentioned already this, this kind of movement is called Book Riot.
Book Riot Yeah, it's a.
Website they do every year they put out their read harder challenge.
So if I get if I finish this one before the end of the year, I might go back to like last year's and and grab some ideas from it.
32:34
I'll make sure to add.
Their website to the notes as well.
It sounds like a way for to encourage people to be more curious, to explore things that you are unfamiliar with.
I think it's a really excellent challenge for our both like intellectual and also emotional intelligence.
32:53
Yeah.
Yeah.
I also, I mean, I feel like that is something that's important as an entrepreneur and a solopreneur is to be like learning all the time.
So I think, you know, you describe it early on, like I had been, I have, I have been in a lot of industries and learned to do a lot of different things.
33:11
And honestly, like the marketing that I learned back in high school is very different than what we do today.
Like e-commerce wasn't what it was, what it is now.
You know, we don't consume information the same way.
Social media.
I mean, Facebook didn't exist when I was in high school.
33:27
It didn't come out till I was in college.
And I remember resisting getting on Facebook until I think my June, my junior or maybe with senior year, I was like, what is this?
I was like, I don't, you know, I didn't have an Internet phone.
33:42
So I was like, you have to be on a computer.
And I didn't have a laptop either.
So I was like, you have to be at a computer.
So I have to go to the library or like in the computer lab to like, contact you and like call my phone.
I didn't have text messages back then.
And I mean, that's that's yeah, kids do stay.
34:01
Still be like what kind of life do you live 1.
That didn't involve my phone people, you know.
Yeah.
Yeah, I know.
I think.
Things evolve and change very quickly.
And the fact that, you know, this year you are taking on Book Riot challenges, I think that's a really good way to take care of yourself, take care of your mind, of your heart.
34:25
And I see, you know, on the screen you have a lot of books in your room.
And I have maybe 10.
Yeah.
I I have supported Powell's Bookstore in Portland a lot.
Most of these are from there and were used.
34:43
Yeah, they have a well house.
Sale in July.
I know I.
Know I'm so jealous.
I feel like everybody should go if you have a book.
Title that you are interested in.
Let me know because I signed up.
Oh, you did I?
Did I signed?
Up for and sent sent some book titles to me.
35:02
See if I can find them.
OK.
Oh, I love that, Joe.
Thank you so much.
Yeah, of course.
Yeah, usually I.
Mean the last time I was in Portland I was actually marrying my best friend to her now wife who got her like fiance visa and all, all in tax.
35:22
So but yeah, I decided to just chill out and spend.
I think I spent like 3 hours in Powell's just like wandering around reading the backs of books and like that's like a happy place for me.
And then I had to remember I have to like I think I got oh gosh, I did not count that.
35:41
But I think I came home with like 6 books, which is pretty good for me.
That is really good.
Because I had to fit it in.
My backpack because I only packed a backpack.
You throw out some clothes.
I think I left some of my stuff that I knew I wouldn't need.
35:59
Yeah, exactly like.
That I don't need, but I'm going to pack my books.
That is lovely.
I think in today's world we don't.
We don't.
Reading a book to me is a signal of slowing down and it's something I'm going to try to do this summer as well as I slow down a little bit.
36:19
I mean you mentioned my auto reply.
Today.
I'm slowing down so.
So I want to also talk about, since we are talking about reading a book and not always having this made-up urgency, I want to invite you to perhaps lightly touch on your perspective of using technology and AI, helping with marketing, Exogen and communications.
36:52
I didn't have that on my mind, but now I feel like perhaps that's a good place to just slightly mention it.
Yeah, I have started, I have started using AI to help with like writing copy, writing social posts.
37:08
And I think the key here is I do have the paid version of ChatGPT.
And I'm actually one of my to do's is I, I did buy into an AI called MAGI, which is like it has multiple different AI tools in it.
37:26
So I actually have to just, I have to transfer everything into there and get out of ChatGPT.
But you get to upload documents and you get to guide it on what it's doing.
So like for the clients that actually, I don't think there's any client who minds that I use it, but we do talk about it before I say like basically this is what I'm doing, but we upload everything.
37:48
So we upload like their services and how they talk about their services.
We can upload like transcripts of our conversations.
We upload all their past newsletters, all their past blog posts, all the different things.
And then of course I keep that updated so that we're not like referencing anything that we don't do anymore.
38:08
But you can load that all in there so that it has a base to go off of, which also has like the brand voice of that organization, like how they talk about things.
And then I'll, I'll mine it for like, hey, we want to write, you know, a blog post this month about mental health awareness, you know, like what would you recommend based on, you know, what you have in your, what you have uploaded to you and you can talk to it and you can say, yes, I like that.
38:38
No, I don't like that.
And or one way that I use it often actually for my podcast, which is cut down time so much is having it recommend episode titles and then do right, help me do key takeaways basically.
38:57
And so even though it spits those out, I will say the one thing about that is I still need to edit it.
So it just cuts down my time of like needing to listen for information, but I still edit it and whatever I edit goes gets fed back into the system.
39:15
So it gets smarter every single time.
So actually for my podcast, one of the things that I'm going to do is upload all of our previous seasons, like transcripts and the and show notes.
So that by the time I'm in season 3, I can actually make it even smarter and be like reference our old show notes and like spit out all, you know, all the stuff that we need.
39:38
And it's just speed up time like just by so much to be able to do that.
That's really.
Good to learn, and I wonder if, you know, we know AI is a very complex topic and it has a lot of like ups and downs, pros and cons.
I wonder in this case if AI actually helps with addressing the sometimes false sense of urgency.
40:03
Because it helps you kind of like freeing up your time and you may have time, more time for yourself and realizing this matter also is not that urgent.
Yeah, exactly.
Exactly.
Yeah, because it does take time for it to like write stuff.
40:19
So sometimes I just have it on the background while I'm doing something else, you know, on the side.
But yeah, it cuts down so much time and but it is something that I'm learning, I'm learning how to do and use better because there's folks who have been using it much longer than I have.
40:37
Yeah.
And I.
Yeah.
Oh, sorry I cut you off.
Oh no.
No, I was going to say like I bought AI tools very early on in my business.
They sucked.
It was more time than it was worth, but I.
Also think I.
Just didn't know the prompting system at the time so it has come a far away from 2022 when I first started using it to now.
41:03
That's really important to know.
I think again, you know, everything takes time to learn, to develop and to kind of evolve over time.
And you know, like as we continue to explore AI, I'm sure more things will come up.
41:18
And one of the things is the environment, right?
Like it uses so much water and energy and it is problematic.
So I think it forces us to be more mindful when we use AI.
It's like, is this necessary to use AI?
41:36
Like when, like there are things you absolutely do not need to use AI, I have to say, like, people, come on.
Yeah.
I I mean.
I use.
Google so often, like I must say for the for the little over a year and a half I was at the agency that worked on Google ads, I got really good at knowing what the heck to put in a Google search bar to get the results that I wanted with the specificities.
42:06
So I think, you know, there's, there are things that you don't need it for and then there are things that you can't need it for.
And then I also believe in like offsetting.
So I do, I drive a Prius that's my and I work from home, so I hardly ever drive.
42:22
So but that's kind of like, you know, we kind of have different ways that we offset doing, doing that thing and, and, and conserving energy and the environment as well.
Yeah.
Yeah, it's a very intersectional thing.
42:38
There's no kind of like one way or you know, the other way.
There are a few things kind of like working together and you have to look at your life holistically to kind of like say what kind of choices I'm making and what kind of decisions I'm making.
42:55
So thank you for sharing that.
And as we wrap up our conversation, I want to perhaps invite you to share a little bit of just when it comes to fractional marketing, what are the things you do and how do people find you and work with you?
43:15
Oh, thank you.
Yeah.
So I I am figuring out better ways to to say and share what I do.
But the, the thing that I, that I lean on the most and is that I'd love to help people solve problems.
43:32
So sometimes they're marketing related, sometimes they're business related, sometimes they're life, you know, related.
And although there will be times where I tell people that like this is a therapy problem and this is not your business friend problem to talk through.
43:51
But yeah, I, I think I really just enjoy being able to learn people's businesses, how they're trying to do it and what they're trying to do and offer in the world and what, you know, who is the audience?
How do we reach them?
How do we make sure they're the right people?
44:06
So, you know, early on you had said, you know, marketing is, is that very capitalist?
I actually believe the best marketing and sales is stuff that doesn't feel like marketing and sales like it.
It feels informational and informative.
It doesn't feel sleazy.
44:22
It doesn't feel overly persuasive like you're being in.
We're not trying to convince you that you have like a problem or a pain point.
You know what it is and we're helping you find the right solution for it.
And then as far as like getting down to brass tacks of like what I help folks with it's websites and search engine optimization, e-mail marketing, and then what I am now calling like proof of life or like lights on social media.
44:50
So like, I'm not, I'm not the type of person to help you become a Tiktok influencer, an Instagram influencer.
However, we can help you kind of figure out what your Evergreen content strategy is, what you can be sharing so that people know, like and trust you, but not that you're just like, Oh my gosh, Ashlyn, if I have to give you another video, I just, I might never make a video ever, ever again kind of thing.
45:17
And then I also do with a, with a contractor who actually lives in Los Angeles.
I do branding, branding and design work as well.
So we're we're doing a great rebrand with a a nonprofit organization that's renaming and coming up with a new visual identity.
45:34
So really love working on those projects as well.
But yeah, you can check out my website if you are a small business owner, ashbeampdx.com is my website and then I am in the process of writing it.
45:49
But Ashbeam pdx.org is going to be the home of the website that speaks to nonprofits.
So I feel like there is a diverse enough set of information that applies to nonprofits but not small businesses and vice versa.
46:05
So I am actually separating my websites to be able to talk about the services that Ioffer.
Right now, they're both on ashbyandpdx.com.
And it can come sometimes be confusing because you're like, is she talking to me, the nonprofit person, or is she talking to me, the small business person?
46:21
And it's both as well, Yeah, I mean.
Your website is actually very clear to me, but of course I'm a small business, so I think it makes a lot of sense to make something that's more nonprofit focused.
46:38
Yeah, yeah.
And then there is, I think it's under the Work with me page.
There is like a form to fill it out to just get in the queue to have a conversation.
I do a for a free 45 minute strategy call with folks and then sometimes that ends up in proposal.
46:54
Sometimes that just ends up we're not the right fit.
And I can help, you know, if there is somebody that I know in my network that would be a better fit or a better help, I'm happy to make the referrals or introductions or sometimes they just help you with clarity on a direction to go because I've had that, I've had that before.
47:12
So it's a no.
It's a no pressure conversation honestly as well.
Well, definitely we will include your website and your contact information in the show notes.
And thank you so much Ashlyn for coming and on summer Solstice and sharing time together.
47:29
This is.
My favorite time of the year.
Summer is my is my favorite season.
I mean your.
Website name is very like summary to me.
I should be great.
Well, thank you again and I'm sure we will talk soon.