Are you drowning in random marketing tactics that aren't producing the qualified leads you need? You're not alone. Most micro business owners struggle with marketing overwhelm—posting on every social platform, buying ads before speaking events, and outsourcing Instagram to whoever's available. But what if the solution isn't doing more, but doing less with greater clarity?

I sit down with my friend Dana Casto, a fractional Chief Marketing Officer who works with consultants and coaches, to tackle the marketing chaos that keeps business owners up at night. Dana shares his three-part framework—a Venn diagram approach that anyone can use to stop doing random acts of marketing and start producing real results. You'll learn why narrowing your focus is actually the secret to scaling, how to identify where your audience really is, and the exact sequence to follow before making your first marketing hire. If you're ready to move from scattered efforts to strategic growth, this conversation will change how you think about marketing forever.

HIGHLIGHTS

• The three biggest marketing mistakes: fragmentation, reactivity, and misalignment

• The 1-1-1 rule: one audience, one problem, one channel

• Why joy matters in choosing your marketing channels (and how it's like choosing a workout you'll actually do)

• Dana's three-circle Venn diagram for finding your marketing sweet spot: what you're exceptional at, what people will buy, and what brings you joy

• The critical sequence for your first marketing hire: clarity first, then strategy, then implementation

• Why marketing is a long game, not a quick win—and how small adjustments beat hard resets

• How to know if you should focus on email, LinkedIn, or another channel based on what you actually enjoy

• The most expensive misunderstanding: hiring implementers before you have a strategy

CHAPTERS

0:00 - Introduction: Meet Dana Casto, Fractional CMO

1:30 - The Marketing Paradigm Shift: Do Less, Not More

3:45 - The Three Marketing Mistakes: Fragmentation, Reactivity, and Misalignment

8:15 - The 1-1-1 Rule: One Audience, One Problem, One Channel

10:30 - Finding Your Marketing Channel: What Brings You Joy?

14:20 - The Three-Circle Venn Diagram Framework

18:45 - Dana's Journey to Focusing on Strategy

21:00 - Why Email Marketing Works (and Why We Love It)

28:30 - The Power of LinkedIn Comments for Relationship Building

31:15 - Your First Marketing Hire: The Expensive Mistakes to Avoid

35:40 - Clarity → Strategy → Implementation: The Right Sequence

38:20 - Demystifying Marketing Strategy

41:30 - Where to Find Dana + Final Thoughts on Intentional Growth

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Dana Casto's website: whispr.us

• Dana Casto on LinkedIn

Want to join with other like minded entrepreneurs? Visit the Good Humans Growth Network for connections and support: https://www.theghgn.com/