Ep 204 Achieving Balance and Longevity in Business: Insights with Ezra Firestone

Molly Pittman is kicking off the Brands to Watch series with Flewd Stress Care, a company transforming the bath salts industry with innovative, stress-reducing solutions. Learn how their unique product positioning, strong branding, and smart marketing tactics have made them a standout in the DTC space. “They’ve taken a familiar product and made it better. This is a masterclass in branding and marketing.” – Molly Pittman   You Will Learn: • How Flewd Stress Care transformed a commodity product into a must-have wellness essential. • The power of problem-solving product positioning and messaging. • Why their Us vs. Them marketing strategy is so effective. • How they use UGC and testimonials to drive conversions. • The secret behind their subscription model success. • What makes their promotions and bundles so compelling.   LINKS: • Flewd Stress Care – flewdstresscare.com • Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com • Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com   TIME STAMPS:   00:00 – Introduction: Brands to Watch: Flewd Stress Care 00:00:44 – How Molly Discovered Flewd Stress Care 00:01:39 – Why Flewd ’s Product Innovation Stands Out 00:05:00 – The Power of Problem-Solving Products 00:08:09 – Marketing Strategy: From Ads to Checkout 00:12:06 – Subscription Model & Customer Retention 00:18:27 – Winning with Strategic Promotions 00:22:06 – Why Their Facebook Ads Are So Effective 00:24:59 – Final Thoughts & Key Takeaways   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!   Thank you for tuning in! Your support keeps this podcast thriving. If you enjoyed this episode, please follow, review, and share with fellow entrepreneurs and marketers.   📢 Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts: Click Here   📲 Share this episode on social media, tag us, and use #WeOutHere   💌 Have feedback? Email us at [email protected]   Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit! 🚀

Ezra Firestone shares insights on maintaining balance and longevity in business. He explores the importance of sustainable business strategies, personal well-being, and the mindset needed to navigate entrepreneurship successfully. Through real-life experiences and reflections, Ezra highlights how consistency, self-care, and strategic decision-making contribute to long-term success. Whether you’re an established entrepreneur or just starting out, this episode provides valuable perspectives on achieving both business and personal fulfillment.   “The future is shaped by those who act today. Identify your opportunities and lean into them.” – Ezra Firestone You Will Learn: • The role of consistency in long-term success. • How to avoid burnout and stay energized for the journey. • Insights on setting boundaries and achieving work-life balance. • Why routines and intentionality are critical for personal and business growth. • Strategies for maintaining mental, emotional, and physical well-being. • How to foster community and connection in an increasingly isolated world. LINKS: • Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com • Mentor Table –  landing.smartmarketer.com/pages/mentor-table TIME STAMPS:   00:00 Intro 00:01:03 Ezra's Tips 00:03:43 The Importance Of Work-Life Balance 00:09:03 Creating Space for Strategic Thinking 00:13:23 Why Mental Consumption Impacts Your Outcomes 00:14:47 The Power of Community and Connection 00:16:11 The Power of Concsciousness Shifts 00:17:25 Balancing Work, Life, and Personal Joy YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS! Thank you to our listeners for your 5-star reviews and supportive messages! This podcast continues to grow thanks to YOU. If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) We'd also love it if you reposted this episode to your social media, shared your favorite episodes with friends, and tagged us in your next post, #WeOutHere. Have feedback or questions? Email us at [email protected]. And remember, Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.  

Molly Pittman is back with six actionable strategies to take your business to new heights in 2025. Whether you’re navigating the ever-changing digital landscape or looking for fresh insights to scale your business, Molly’s got you covered.   “Pick 2 or 3 strategies that resonate with you and go all in. These could be game changers for your business in 2025.” – Molly Pittman You Will Learn: • How changes at Meta are reviving organic growth opportunities. • The secret behind self-liquidating offers to scale customer acquisition. • Strategies for increasing customer lifetime value. • Why TikTok Shop is the next big thing in e-commerce. • How to leverage AI agents to streamline your marketing. • The importance of building community and connection. LINKS: • Molly Pittman – mollypittman.com • Smart Marketer – smartmarketer.com • Smart Paid Traffic Course – smartmarketer.com/paid-traffic • Smart Social Marketing Course – smartmarketer.com/social-marketing • Mentor Table –  landing.smartmarketer.com/pages/mentor-table TIME STAMPS:   00:00 Intro/We are Back! 00:02:35 Introduction to the 6 Key Opportunities for 2025 00:03:22 #1 Organic Growth is Back! 00:10:03 #2 Have A Self Liquidating Offer 00:15:29 #3 Increase Life Time Value 00:17:51 #4 Live Shopping 00:23:00 #5 Leverage AI To Make Your Tasks Easier 00:25:05 #6 Building Connection and Community YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!   Thank you to our listeners for your 5-star reviews and supportive messages! This podcast continues to grow thanks to YOU. If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) We'd also love it if you reposted this episode to your social media, shared your favorite episodes with friends, and tagged us in your next post, #WeOutHere. Have feedback or questions? Email us at [email protected]. And remember, Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

Molly Pittman is back from her wedding/sabbatical/vacation, and she's on the show today to share her fresh take on life and business. Listen for five key takeaways that might just provide you with a shortcut to realizing your own dreams. "I had never had this reflection time to look back at my life and say,  what do I like about this? What do I want to change? What is the reality of how I am living?" Molly Pittman You Will Learn How to get off the Hamster Wheel (without a trip to Italy) Tips for Being More Present A Prescription for People-Pleasers Your first step to taking four weeks off! And More! LINKS Molly Pittman, https://mollypittman.com/ Smart Marketer, https://smartmarketer.com/ Kentucky Saving Them Together, https://www.facebook.com/KSTT.Rescue/ Smart Marketer Live, https://smartmarketer.com/live/   TIME STAMPS 00:00 "Maybe there is one thing you could do that cuts out 50 percent of your workload, but you can't see that because you're moving so quickly and don't have that clarity of mind." Molly Pittman 00:28 She's BACK (Where did she go?) 03:55 "Molly, That's Not A Sabbatical" 06:16 Work To Live, Not Live To Work 08:51 Slow Is Fast 10:33 Presence Is Key 12:47 Boundaries Are Mandatory 15:09 Being ProActive versus ReActive 17:45 Recap - Five Takeaways 19:51 Give yourself permission to take time off.  YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS!  Thank you to our listeners for the 5-star Reviews and meaningful messages! This Podcast has exceeded our expectations, and we have YOU to thank for that. It makes a difference when you follow us (and leave a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts.  We'd also love it if you reposted this episode to your social media, shared your favorite episodes with friends, and tagged us in your next post, #WeOutHere. Have questions? Please send us an email at [email protected], and don't forget to Serve the World Unselfishly and Profit.

"Pepsi technically won the taste challenge, but Coca-Cola built the brand."   Adam Von Rothfelder is back on the show today, and we're sharing another slice of our new course, Smart Product Creation. In this episode, you will hear Adam (CEO of Strong Coffee) describe how he overhauled the Brand Identity of the E-Comm brand "Gigalabs" (A nootropic supplements brand offering "Degen Enhancements"). You will also hear about Pepsi and Coke, Liquid Death and ELF cosmetics, and Boom by Cindy Joseph as he talks with Colleen Taylor (Director of Operations at Smart Marketer), Parker Hilton (Co-Founder of Gigalabs), and our very own John Grimshaw (CMO of Smart Marketer and the host of this episode).  You Will Learn: Does your color scheme really matter (or is it just subjective)? Keys to creating a consistent experience for your consumer How to choose your brand elements based on your target audience What happens if you don't invest in your branding? And more! LINKS  Mentioned In This Episode: Smart Product Creation *NEW* Course, https://smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation/ Parkers Company, https://gigalabs.com/ Adam Von Rothfelder, https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonrothfelder/ For more Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts John Grimshaw,https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwgrimshaw/ Smart Marketer Courses, https://smartmarketer.com/courses/   TIME STAMPS 00:00  John sets the stage. 00:55  Let's Dive In 04:38  Capturing The Spirit Of A Brand (e.g. Gigalabs) 06:18  Having a consistent 'look' versus having a consistent color 08:42 "Pepsi just buys celebrity-ism. Coca-Cola owns it".  12:04  Parker Hilton talks about honing in on their target audience through Branding 13:00  Colleen Taylor talks about their Boom Re-Brand 14:32  "Being wishy-washy with your branding leads to increased costs because you're attracting a bunch of people who say, yeah, maybe, but no."John Grimshaw 16:13  How Liquid Death "created a new Social Lubricant". 17:52  Branding effects Acquisition costs. If you're interested in learning more about how you can create new products in your business without having to do all of the legwork yourself, check out Smart Product Creation here: https://smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation/   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen.

Although many of our episodes are urgent "do this now" type content to keep you on the front edge of this Marketing life, we also have episodes packed with timeless and true, evergreen content. To celebrate 200 episodes, we picked five such clips that you may have missed that we believe you will love to hear (and need to hear). You Will Hear, Ezra Firestone on How To Stop Overworking Molly Pittman and Kurt Elster on What Marketers Get Wrong With Storytelling John Grimshaw sharing one of his 8 Immutable Laws for Email Marketing Pepijn Hufen on where he would begin if he were starting over Gabby Bernstein and Molly Pittman on Overcoming Imposter Syndrome   FULL EPISODE LINKS Clip 1: Episode 148 https://smartmarketer.com/how-to-stop-over-working-and-why-with-ezra-firestone/ Clip 2: Episode 132, https://smartmarketer.com/is-it-the-market-or-is-it-your-marketing-with-kurt-elster-and-molly-pittman/ Clip 3: Episode 143, https://smartmarketer.com/the-8-immutable-laws-of-email-marketing-with-john-grimshaw-2/ Clip 4: Episode 166,  https://smartmarketer.com/a-solid-strategy-for-your-first-1000-in-facebook-ads/ Clip 5: Episode 120, https://smartmarketer.com/whats-holding-you-back-as-a-digital-entrepreneur-special-episode-with-gabby-bernstein/   TIME STAMPS "If you're an entrepreneur, your career is a relationship.  Your business is your relationship. It's a very intimate relationship. That relationship is revealing to you the unresolved parts of your shadow side that need to be". Gabby Bernstein 01:16 Thank you for your support. Here's what's coming up. 04:12 Ezra Firestone: How To Stop Overworking 07:26 Molly Pittman and Kurt Elster on Storytelling: Have you Learned the Basics yet? 13:10 John Grimshaw on How to Make Your Emails Stand Out in the Inbox. 20:24 Pepijn Hufen on A Strategy For Your First $1k As An Entrepreneur 27:21 Gabby Bernstein and Molly Pittman on How Personal Growth Allows You To Succeed 33:04 A Gentle Nudge From John Grimshaw   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen.  

You wouldn't believe how many Marketers and Entrepreneurs don't understand the subject of Offers. Fortunately, John Grimshaw is passionate about this, and he's on the show today to share three proven offer formulas that you can consider using for your next product launch. John and his team at Smart Marketer have seen these Offers work for themselves, their clients, and for businesses of all shapes and sizes. As he unpacks each formula with examples, you will start to recognize these strategies in use all around you, and you will be able to implement them for your next product launch. You Will Learn: The Greatest Enemy To Selling Your Product When to use the Buzz-Builder Launch When the Pre-Order (Or Beta) Launch works best  The Key to Achieving Growth and Scale And more! LINKS Mentioned In This Episode: Smart Product Creation, https://smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation/ For more Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts John Grimshaw,https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwgrimshaw/ TIME STAMPS  01:20 Why This Topic Gets Overlooked and Skimmed Over  02:32 The Basics of John's 5-Step Offer Formula 07:28 Proven Offer #1:The Buzz Builder Launch 12:37 Proven Offer #2: The Pre-Order (Or Beta) Launch "Pre-orders (in general) work well when they leverage highly engaged existing audiences who have a lifestyle or hobbyist connection to whatever you're selling." John Grimshaw 19:53 Proven Offer #3: The Seasonal Event Launch 22:18 "This Is Where the Marketing Comes In" 24:34 In Summary   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen.

Does your business need to be profitable every month? Pepijn Hufen (CEO of the Smart Marketer Agency) is back with a topic that's crucial for any business owner: Cost Per Acquisition (CPA).  As an entrepreneur or marketer, you're sure to be familiar with the term, but today, Pep shares the approach he and his team use with their clients at the Smart Marketer Agency. Plus, he introduces an alternative metric that he prefers using for business growth and scaling. You will learn,  Why you can't look at CPA in isolation (context is crucial) How to set the right goals for your unique business How powerful a Blended ROAS Goal is for profitability  How Customer Value over the first year informs your decisions about CPA LINKS Pepijn Hufen, on Twitter, https://twitter.com/ and Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/pep_hufen/ The Smart Marketer Agency, https://smartmarketeragency.com/ For more Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And/Or Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen. TIME STAMPS "Understanding how much you can spend to acquire a customer (and how to approach this) is different for every business, but it's incredibly important. You need new customers; they're the lifeblood of your business, but every month, your business needs to be profitable". Pepijn Hufen 01:24 Let's Dive In  05:28  Set your Blended ROAS goal. 07:21 If You're More Advanced In Your Business Journey 08:01 Balancing new customer acquisition with existing customer monetization 10:37 Increase your average order value 14:09  In Summary   "In my opinion, new customer ROAS should always be in the conversation because it's just a more useful metric than just CPA." Pepijn Hufen

If you want to break into selling physical products or you just need to figure out how to increase profitability, this episode is worth a listen.  Today, we are sharing a slice of a brand new course we're launching, Smart Product Creation, and we think you will be inspired and encouraged. "If you've launched less than four new products in the last 12 months, you may want to consider this because one of the best ways to increase profitability, grow your business, and support your core audience is to launch additional products that solve more problems in the category. We've found this is the most important part of the puzzle (once you get traffic dialed in)". John Grimshaw Who are you listening to? Meet Adam Von Rothfelder (CEO of Strong Coffee), Colleen Taylor (Director of Operations at Smart Marketer), Parker Hilton (Co-Founder of Gigalabs), and our very own John Grimshaw (CMO of Smart Marketer and host of this episode). You Will Learn: What to do when your core product stops driving profitability How quickly can you actually bring a product to life? Why are new products essential to business growth? Why you can't just launch a random product And more! LINKS Mentioned In This Episode: Smart Product Creation *NEW* Course, https://smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation/ Parkers Company, https://gigalabs.com/ Adam Von Rothfelder, https://www.linkedin.com/in/vonrothfelder/ For more Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts John Grimshaw,https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwgrimshaw/ Smart Marketer Courses, https://smartmarketer.com/courses/ TIME STAMPS 03:27 Let's Dive In (How Adam Helped Parker Bring This New Product To Life) 05:43 Why Design Matters 08:49 Crunch Time 12:04 "Know the People. Know The Audience. Know the problem you want to solve for them". John Grimshaw 12:25 How To Grab People's Attention (Bring The Energy) 18:09 A Repeatable Process (That anyone can do) If you're interested in learning more about how you can create new products in your business without having to do all of the legwork yourself, check out Smart Product Creation here: https://smartmarketer.com/smart-product-creation/   YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen.

John Grimshaw (CMO of Smart Marketer) does something a little different on the show today. He's been following a brand you may have heard of and watching them eat up an increasing market share. He doesn't have the back-end information, but he does have some valuable insights about what they're doing with their Ads. Listen to this “AdSumer Report” Episode for three distinct strategies that you can use in your business. You Will Learn: Two clues that certain Ads are performing really well for a brand A recipe for a really great hook The Real Reason Coterie Ads are so effective And more! LINKS Mentioned In This Episode: Smart Marketer Live (Get your Early Bird Tickets here, https://smartmarketer.com/live/?gad_source=1) Coterie Diapers, https://www.coterie.com/ For more Episodes and Resources, https://smartmarketer.com/blog/?cat=podcasts John Grimshaw,https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnwgrimshaw/ Smart Marketer Courses, https://smartmarketer.com/courses/ TIME STAMPS 00:00 "They have a different strategy that I think is super unique and powerful that I would recommend everyone think about how to implement for themselves." John Grimshaw 03:29 Early Bird Tickets For Smart Marketer Live 06:19 What's so good about what Coterie is doing with their Ads? 08:08 Let's look at these three types of Ads 11:01 A Really Powerful Hook 17:37 The Third Thing They Do Very Well 19:59 How Do You Use This In Your Business? 21:52 It's not just awesome Ads: It's the Business Model YOUR ENGAGEMENT MATTERS Thank you to our listeners for the 5-Star Reviews and meaningful messages! This podcast has surpassed our expectations, and we have you to thank for that! If you're enjoying the show, please be sure to follow us (and leave us a review) on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-smart-marketer-podcast/id1522629407) And Follow and Subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts! Please also share these episodes on social media and tag us on your next post #WeOutHere Instagram: @SmartMarketerIG, @mollypittmandigital, @johngrimmshawdigital, @pep_hufen.