In this season finale, we open up about what’s happening behind the scenes of Collectively in 2026.

Monica shares a major life event – the reason behind us ending this first season and pushing pause.

Marijke shares how she juggles running a business while raising a family, and the biggest lessons her kids took away from their recent trip to visit her charity in Cambodia.

This episode is all about how your business can ebb and flow through the seasons of your life. It’s a raw and refreshing discussion about the realities of parenthood and business ownership.

Inside we cover:

• Redefining the meaning of success - getting really granular about what that means for you, not just at each stage of your business but at each season of your life.
• How parenthood can make you a better business owner and a more empathetic marketer.
• How building and contributing to communities can help you manage your business and family commitments, while contributing to others.

This episode is released as part of a global Podcasthon - raising awareness of charities and causes worldwide. It is dedicated to Marijke’s charity, Dara Children’s Trust.

For more information on Dara Children’s Trust, please visit www.darachildren.com

For more information on Podcasthon, please visit www.podcasthon.org

For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

What does good design actually do? It's not just about looking good — it's about making people feel something, and then knowing exactly what to do next.

In this episode we sit down with Pippa from Shout & Co, a designer and creative director who's worked with everyone from the Auckland Art Gallery to wine exporters and major retailers. She shares what's really shifting in the world of design, branding and websites right now, and what small businesses need to pay attention to.

We get into:

• Why your website is your silent salesman, and what to do if it's not pulling its weight
• How to design for AI search and algorithms without losing the human experience
• The authenticity factor: why truly owning your brand is becoming a rare (and powerful) competitive edge
• Why chasing trends or copying competitors is keeping you stuck
• The tension between SEO and aesthetics, and how to navigate it

Pippa also shares a perspective that stuck with us: asking a machine to give you a strategy on how to attract humans will probably never end well. Because creativity is innately human, and that's not something to outsource. Listen to learn more!

Connect with Pippa at www.shoutandco.com and learn more about The Marketing Collective at www.themarketingcollective.co.nz

For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.

Hashtags are dead. Reels are everything. AI is the future. Organic reach is gone. There are A LOT of opinions about what’s working on social media and where you should be focusing your efforts. The energy it takes to keep up with what’s hot on social can start to hold you back from actually showing up!

After all, most of us didn’t get into business to become content creators, but we also know that social media can be a powerful channel for sharing messages and creating community.

Instead of hot takes and trends, we wanted to hear what it’s going to take to make social media feel impactful in 2026 and sustainable long-term.

So, of course, we called on Jodine from Social Smarty, social media trainer and Marketing Collective partner. In this episode, she joins us for a realistic chat about what’s shifting, what’s overhyped and what really hasn’t changed at all.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re overthinking what to post, social media feels harder than it should, or you’re trying to keep up without losing your voice, this episode might just revive your energy and focus for social media!

Learn more about Jodine at www.socialsmarty.co and discover more about The Marketing Collective (and what you can learn about social media) at www.themarketingcollective.co.nz

For more information about us visit, www.themarketingcollective.co.nz and www.markmywords.co.nz.