Lynn Colepaugh: Transforming Creators into Business Leaders

Update: 2025-10-08

Description

Host: Jeremy Rivera
Guest: Lynn Colepaugh, Founder of Cyber PR Army
Podcast: Unscripted Small Business

Episode Overview

In this episode, Lynn Colepaugh from Cyber PR Army joins us to discuss the evolving landscape of digital marketing for small businesses and creators. We dive into the challenges of treating creative work as a legitimate business, the impact of AI on content authenticity, and the fundamental marketing mistakes that are costing businesses customers every day.

Lynn shares practical, actionable advice on everything from fixing basic website issues to building local trust, and why simply responding to inquiries can be your biggest competitive advantage.

Top Quotes from Lynn Colepaugh

On Treating Creative Work as Business:

"It is convincing creators that they are a small business. And it's a really big hurdle because they are creators at heart—whether they are dancers, whether they're making instruments, whether they are writing music."

On AI vs. Authenticity:

"I'm seeing the pendulum swing away from as much AI generated stuff back to people questioning, 'Is this real, a real image or is this something that was generated separately?' And those that are authentically creating are now standing out even more in a really beautiful way."

On Basic Marketing Fundamentals:

"If some industries are just so kind of barren with communications that all you have to do is reply and be thoughtful and communicate, then holy mack, there are companies missing out completely on getting new customers and nurturing customers and keeping their customers long term."

On Local Trust Building:

"I tell people, if you have roots, show your roots, because that's how people know if something goes wrong, they're going to be able to find you."

On Low-Hanging Fruit:

"So many things are on the very granola first level fixable level that people have issues that are just 100% addressable."

On Timeless Marketing Strategy:

"If you're getting your message out correctly, then you will adapt as tools come and go. To me, it is staying face forward there, making sure you're storytelling and talking about the things that are important."

Key Takeaways

Creators Must Embrace Business Fundamentals - The biggest challenge for artists and creators is convincing them they're running a small business. They need to understand budgets, contracts, legal documentation, and how to pay their team. With modern AI tools and digital systems, small businesses can now have a "mini support team" to handle low-level tasks they once struggled with alone.

Authenticity Stands Out in the AI Content Flood - While AI has made content creation accessible to everyone, it's resulted in a flood of similar, generic content. The pendulum is swinging back toward authentic, raw, human-created content that tells real stories. A simple, unpolished video of genuine human connection can outperform highly-produced AI content because people are now questioning what's real.

Stop Selling to Yourself - Know Your Actual Customer - Small business owners often make the mistake of trying to sell to themselves rather than understanding their actual customer's motivations. You need to identify who's really buying from you and why, then tailor your message accordingly. Just like you'd speak differently to kindergartners versus PhDs, you need to adapt your content to match your audience's specific needs and pain points.

Fix the Basics Before Advanced Tactics - Many businesses have easily fixable issues holding them back: demo content still live on websites, slow loading times, duplicate websites, or text buried in graphics that search engines can't read. Before worrying about advanced marketing strategies, clean up your website, claim all your digital properties (Google Business, social media), and ensure your contact forms actually work and get responses.

Response Time Is Your Competitive Advantage - In many industries, simply replying to inquiries quickly and thoughtfully gives you a massive edge. The conversation hasn't even started if you don't respond, and every second of delay is an opportunity for prospects to find someone else. Modern AI tools can help by instantly replying to leads, qualifying them, and notifying you when action is needed—you don't have to live on your phone to provide fast responses.

Show Your Roots to Build Trust - Local businesses should prominently display their community connections, reviews, sponsorships, and team members. People want to know you're findable and accountable if something goes wrong. Simple trust signals like a well-maintained website, clear contact information, active social media responses, and community involvement can be the difference between being chosen or ignored.

Start Small and Consistent, Then Scale - Don't try to do everything at once—you didn't get into business to be a full-time marketer. Pick one manageable content channel (like one social media post every Tuesday) and be consistent with it. Once your website is fixed, your digital properties are claimed, and you have a rhythm, then add more tools like blogs, podcasts, or videos while tracking meaningful metrics to make better decisions.