Your Marketing Mates

Hey there marketing mates! We're back with a long-overdue Resource Roundup, so we're making up for lost time with a jam-packed episode full of our latest faves. We're talking everything from chunky brand strategy books to quick-hit productivity hacks, creative inspo, AI deep dives, and even in-person networking walks (yes, actual fresh air!). As always, we didn't swap notes beforehand, so you're getting our unfiltered, totally random mix of what's been sparking ideas and fuelling our work lately.   Belle's Picks: Designing Brand Identity – Alina Wheeler & Rob Meyerson's 6th edition, a hefty yet visual guide for brand strategists and designers. Colossal eNewsletter – Daily art and visual culture updates featuring inspiring artists, creative trends, and unexpected stories. Biz Podcast – Mamamia's bite-sized career podcast offering practical advice from seasoned professionals. Stuff That MattRs eNewsletter – Matt Rutherford's short, skimmable career-focused email, complete with journal prompts and curated links. Liz's Picks: 1% Better eNewsletter – Colby's weekly Monday email with small, actionable ways to improve your life and work. AI Explored Podcast – Social Media Examiner's deep-dive AI series for marketers, creators, and business owners. Mentor Walks – In-person walking meetups with inspiring female leaders across Australia, NZ, and beyond. Instagram Edits App – Instagram's free video editing app, similar to CapCut, for quick, trend-driven Reels creation.     Don't forget you can connect with us on socials: LinkedIn - www.linkedin.com/company/your-marketing-mates/ Instagram - @yourmarketingmates If you're enjoying the pod, you can also leave us a review or rate us on Spotify. Belle & Liz. x

Happy New Year, marketing mates! It's been a hot minute since we've been on the pod, but we are (finally) back and ready to share our word of the year and what's been happening. Staying true to tradition, we haven't shared our WOTY ahead of time, so grab a coffee and join us for a chat. Plot twist: Belle's word changed mid-episode… tune in to find out more.  If we're not already friends on socials, let's connect!  Belle - linkedin.com/isabelledebnam Liz - linkedin.com/lizzyballantyne YMM Instagram - @yourmarketingmates YMM LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates P.S. Here's the link to the DreamyMoons journal Belle mentioned in the ep: https://dreamymoons.com.au/products/2026-year-of-growth-book

In this episode, we're unpacking a tool that can take your mentorship conversations from "nice chat" to "game-changing": the GROW model. Whether you're formally mentoring someone or just the go-to person for career advice in your team, the GROW framework is a simple but powerful way to guide your chats and actually help people make progress. Here's the quick version: Goal – What are they trying to achieve? Reality – Where are they right now? Options – What could they do? Way Forward – What will they do next? We'll walk you through how to use each step, share tips from our own mentoring experiences, and chat about how this model helps cut through the fluff and build real momentum. Have you used the GROW model before, or keen to try it out? Let us know by connecting with us on LinkedIn @yourmarketingmates. If you found this episode helpful, share it with a fellow mentor (or mentee!) in your world. See you next ep, mates. Belle & Liz.

In this episode, we're diving into a topic that we think more leaders and people managers should know about: stay interviews. You've probably heard of exit interviews - those conversations you have when someone has already decided to leave. The problem? By then, it's too late to change anything. Stay interviews flip that script. What is a Stay Interview? A stay interview is a proactive conversation between a leader and a team member designed to uncover what's working, what's not, and what might help keep that person around. It's all about listening, understanding, and, ideally, retaining your team before they start looking elsewhere. We're curious to hear whether you're already doing stay interviews with your team and how that has impacted morale and retention. Let us know by connecting with us on LinkedIn @yourmarketingmates. If you found this episode helpful, don't forget to share it with your friends and colleagues!  See you next ep, mates.   Belle & Liz. 

Welcome back, Marketing Mates! In S7E1, we hinted at some incredible guests this season, and we're thrilled to kick things off with our friend, industry mentor, and all-around marketing powerhouse, Ashton Tuckerman. With over a decade of industry experience, Ashton's career has spanned everything from content, brand, social media, PR and more. With an impressive amount of experience in the startup world, Ashton has recently stepped into the role of GM at a Brisbane-based digital agency.  In this episode, Ashton generously shares her career journey and what led her to pursue an MBA. We also dive into… What is an MBA? Spoiler: It's a Master in Business Administration or as Ashton refers to it "CEO Training" Key learnings and her time studying at UQ and Harvard (Yes, THE Harvard) Balancing study and work Career growth and advice You can connect with Ashton on LinkedIn @AshtonTuckerman and subscribe to her Growth Mode Newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7059775580778418176/    Thanks for tuning in, mates!  See you next time. Belle & Liz. x  

Hello Marketing Mates! It's great to be back.  We were a little MIA in 2024 with some exciting professional and personal milestones and life events, but we are back for another season (Season 7 - can you believe it!) and spicing up our content a little this year.  After taking a look at our analytics and hearing your feedback we have some very exciting episodes in the pipeline, as well as some conversations with inspiring industry professionals. Without further ado, tune into the ep and don't forget to stay connected with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.  Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates Belle & Liz. x

Emails are often a huge part of our life as marketers, whether it's outbound comms, campaign-based, or even in the day-to-day of account and stakeholder management. In this episode, we are spilling the tea on our 10 tips for writing better emails – from emojis to weasel words and the use of punctuation. Are there any email dos and don'ts that are top of your list? Please let us know on socials… Instagram - @yourmarketingmates  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates    And if you're enjoying the pod, don't forget that you can leave us a review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Ta ta for now! Belle & Liz. x  

Mates, we're back! It's been a hot minute between episodes because life has been all kinds of busy, but we're here and happy to be back in your ears. This week we're channeling some Sesame Street energy and sharing the A-Z of 26 common marketing terms that you need in your vocabulary. We know as marketers that we can throw a lot of acronyms and slang around (guilty!), so hopefully this equips you the next time you head into a team meeting or strategy session. Without further ado, let's dive in…   If you haven't already, don't forget to connect with us on socials: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates   And if you're enjoying the pod, you can leave us a review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Belle & Liz. x

For those of you that have been tuning in for a while, you'll know we always look forward to our Resource Roundup episodes. Settle in for a special roundup for your week ahead. Culture Amp - Culture First podcast Women In Digital Membership  Marketing Millennials - Socials, podcast, and newsletter Cat Matson podcast - "Speaking with Confidence" The Panic Years by Nell Frizzell (book) Brianna Johnston - Social Media Expert & Business Coach SEMrush -  platform often used for keyword research and online ranking data BorrowBox - borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks free from your library   Thanks for tuning in, mates! Don't forget you can connect with us on socials: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates   And if you're enjoying the pod, you can leave us a review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.  Belle & Liz. x

This week we had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Linh Diep, two-time B&T 30 Under 30 Winner, Founder of Assisterhood and all-round amazing human being! For those of you that aren't familiar with Assisterhood, it's a mentorship program for up-and-coming talent in creative industries. Since its inception in 2018, the program has expanded to over 60 mentors in three states (QLD, VIC, NSW), and its impact has grown year-on-year. Tune in to hear more about the program and get some insider tips on how to make your application really shine! .. You can learn more about the Assisterhood mentorship program at assisterhood.com.au - applications close Friday 14th April 2023. Want to stay up to date on all things Assisterhood? Connect with Linh here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linhhdiep/ Follow Assisterhood on LinkedIn and Instagram    We'll see you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x

As we enter the new work week, you're likely sitting down with a cuppa and starting to plan out the next few days. Guesses are you're feeling one of two things - energised and ready for the week ahead, or a sense of overwhelm and decision paralysis. If you're in Group B, our old friend "Procrastination" is likely to rear its ugly head. But don't fret, the Pomodoro Technique is here to get you back on track. The Pomodoro Technique is a time management system that encourages you to work in focused chunks, separated by regular breaks. These intervals are referred to as pomodoros. Tune in to more about this technique and give it a whirl this week! Let us know how you go… ... If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you. You can leave us a review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Or, connect with us on socials. Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates See you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x

Put simply, readability determines how easy or difficult it is to understand a piece of text. When you consider how much copy a marketer writes in a day, whether that's social posts, emails, blogs, or website copy, readability is pretty darn important. The tools we explore in this episode include: Datayze Readability Analyzer - Estimates the readability of a passage of text using the Flesch Reading Ease, Fog Scale Level, Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, and other metrics. WebFX Readability Test - Similar to Datayze, but tests the readability of your whole website. Onmisend Email Subject Line Tester - Analyses and improves your email subject lines. WordHippo - Basically a thesaurus on steroids.   ... If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you. You can leave us a review on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Or, connect with us on socials. Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates See you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x  

Although the title of this episode is pretty bold, we've got something a little different and fun in store for you this week… We've compiled our top 10 ten list of things that are triggering (and incredibly relatable) in the workplace. If you've got something that hasn't made our list, please share your corporate pain with us. You can connect with us on socials: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates   See you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x  

It's still relatively early in the new year (although March is creeping up incredibly quickly!), which means it's the perfect time for you to undertake a little personal brand audit. Did you have a Myspace when you were younger (gah, cringe)? Or maybe you're like Belle and have had sporadic Twitter phases on and off for the last 10+ years… In this ep, Liz steps us through 5 simple ways we can do a social media audit to ensure the content that appears online for your personal brand reflects what you want it to: Start by doing a Google of your name (don't forget any nicknames or maiden names) Check all your old social media accounts  Be sure to double-check all your social media privacy settings Audit your current social account content Does this portray the right message? Would I feel ok if this was shown on TV or to my grandparents? Is it something that can be used to harm my personal security? Do I need to update anything to be relevant/meet best practice Update your profiles and messaging to reflect the new year (new job, new headshot)   Bonus tip: Use this cleansing energy to also unsubscribe from any emails you no longer want!    Do you have any other tips or tricks for auditing your personal brand? Let us know by connecting with us on socials: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates   See you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x

Chances are you've heard about ChatGPT by now…the OpenAI chatbot that is taking the internet by storm! As a marketer you're likely on one of 2 teams: Oh no, it's happening, robots are here to take my job. The answer to my writer's block prayers have been answered.  In this episode, Belle shares some ways that she has been using it as an ideation prompt…   What's your stance on ChatGPT? Connect with us on socials and join the conversation. Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates See you next week, mates! Belle & Liz. x  

Welcome back, marketing mates! Oh we've missed you, and it's delightful to be back in your regular podcast schedule.  We're kicking off 2023 (and Season 6!), sharing our word of the year, and reflecting on whether we achieved our 2022 intentions (see S4E5).  For those of you new to the Your Marketing Mates community, welcome - we are excited to have you here! In this episode, we also share a whirlwind update on what's been happening since our last episode and how our careers have progressed since we kicked off the podcast in 2020. How time flies when you're having fun… We hope you enjoy this episode. If you haven't already, you can connect with us on: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates   See you next week! Belle & Liz. x

Welcome to the final episode of Season 5 AND 2022 marketing mates! What better way to round out the year than with one of our favourite types of episodes…a resource roundup! If you're a book lover that's looking for some quality reading over the holidays, we've got some goodies for you! Liz's resources: Stocksy - stock photography website I Didn't Do That Thing Today by Madeleine Dore (Book) Radical Candor by Kim Scott (Book) The Crown - Season 5 Belle's resources: Life Is Tough But So Are You by Briony Benjamin (Book) AdWeek  - American advertising trade publication Future Women - membership, fortnightly newsletter, events and community committed to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces The Plantation by Di Morrissey (Book) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Stay safe and enjoy the time with your loved ones. We'll be back in your ears in early 2023. Belle & Liz. x In the meantime, if you haven't already connected… Let's be friends on socials! Instagram - @yourmarketingmates  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates/ If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you.  Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.  

You've probably heard the term "emotional intelligence" and you may be wondering what this means and why it's helpful in the workplace (and life in general)!   In Jamilla Rizvi's book 'Not Just Lucky,' she gives a great breakdown: "In basic terms, having emotional intelligence means you're able to recognise and manage not only your own emotions but the emotions of others. "   This week we discuss the 4 pillars that contribute to emotional intelligence: Self-awareness Self-management Social awareness Managing relationships Helpful resource: Check out the HBR article we mentioned - "Emotional intelligence has 12 elements. Which do you need to work on?" We have one more episode before we have a little break over Christmas! Can you guess what it is?   Want to be friends on socials? Connect with us… Instagram - @yourmarketingmates  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates/   Belle & Liz. x   If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you.  Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Welcome back, marketing mates! It's the time of year when there are events happening left, right and centre - industry awards, Christmas parties, social meetups…  If you're looking to expand your professional network (and get a head start on 2023), in this week's ep we share 5 networking hacks to keep up your sleeve: Attend industry events  Connect with businesses or brands you love Lean on your friends Check out virtual events  Find an existing community to join Happy party season! Let us know if you found these tips helpful, or if you have any other networking hacks - we'd love to hear them.    We'll be back again next week. But in the meantime, feel free to connect with us on socials: Instagram - @yourmarketingmates  LinkedIn - linkedin.com/your-marketing-mates/ Belle & Liz. x   If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you.  Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.   

If you're yet to adopt the new social media kid on the block, this week we give a rundown of the BeReal social media app - what it is, who is using it and how brands are embracing it as a marketing channel. It's nice to (finally) see an authentic, unfiltered, ad-free social app but only time will tell whether it will stick around. Meta and TikTok are already creating similar in-app functionality to stay competitive…   Do you use BeReal? What's your hot take? Let us know on socials…  Instagram LinkedIn See you next week, marketing mates! Belle & Liz.    If you're enjoying the podcast we'd love to hear from you. Please leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.