Send us Fan Mail

Billie did not set out to become a photographer. She got a telescope for Christmas, fell in love with space, and ended up with a camera hidden in the back of her grandfather's wardrobe instead. A few years later she packed up her life in Auckland, moved to Christchurch, and photography quietly became one of the most significant parts of her work.

She also, it turns out, can tell whether something was written by AI in about ten seconds.

In this episode Liz sits down with Billie, who works across C i Marketing and Cirrus International, for a conversation that covers both of those things honestly and in full. The first half is about photography: how Billie built a career without formal training, why the job is ninety percent people skills and ten percent technical, how to help someone who is genuinely nervous in front of a lens, and why pricing your work properly matters not just for you but for every creative in the industry.

The second half is a live test. Liz prepared four pieces of real social media copy, some written by their copywriter Emily and some generated entirely by AI, and hands them to Billie on air without telling her which is which. What Billie does next is genuinely useful for anyone who writes, posts, or commissions content. She breaks down exactly what she looks for: the M dash that exploded after ChatGPT launched, writing things in groups of three, the sentence structure ChatGPT uses almost every time ("it isn't this, it's this"), and the word simply appearing where no human writer would naturally put it.

There is also a twist. One of the four pieces fools her, and the reason why says something important about where AI writing is heading and what that means for trust in content.

Whether you are a photographer wondering where the industry is going, a small business owner trying to work out if your content sounds like you, or a marketer thinking honestly about how to use AI without losing your audience, this episode covers ground that matters.

In this episode: building a photography career without formal training, people skills over technical skill, pricing creative work honestly, AI image editing and where it helps and where it does not, the four tells that give away AI written content, spotting AI copy in ten seconds, why well trained AI now sounds human, and what that means for authenticity in marketing.

The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing. New episodes every second Wednesday.

thevisualmarketingpodcast.com

Follow C i Marketing:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cimarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cimarketing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CIMKTG
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.i.marketing.nz

Send us Fan Mail

What do you do when the business you have built disappears overnight? In this solo episode, Liz shares what she has learned from rebuilding not once, but twice.

In 2011, Liz launched C i Marketing in the aftermath of the Canterbury earthquakes, finding a niche where others saw only devastation. Then COVID hit in 2020 and stripped away almost every client overnight. With staff, an office, and a tourism-only client base, the situation looked impossible. But walking away was never on the table.

This episode is part personal story, part practical playbook. Liz talks honestly about what it takes to keep going when the ground disappears beneath you, and shares three actionable tips you can use right now to stay visible when it feels like the hardest thing to do.

You will hear why visibility is not a luxury you earn when things are going well, why going quiet is one of the most damaging things a business can do in a crisis, and how one unpolished selfie became one of Liz's most successful social media posts ever.

Whether you are navigating a difficult season right now, thinking about a change in direction, or just want to build a business that can weather the unexpected, this one is for you.

Find all of Liz's details and connect at www.cimarketing.co.nz/podcast

Connect with C i Marketing:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cimarketing
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cimarketing
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/c-i-marketing/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CIMKTG
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@c.i.marketing.nz

Connect with Liz:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-pitcorn-60333840/

Send us Fan Mail

What does it take to walk away from a steady job at 23 with no real plan, two customers, and a vision that most people would have talked you out of? For Jamie Johannes, founder of Inspired Martial Arts in the UK, it took belief, consistency, and a willingness to do every single job in the business, including cleaning the toilets.

In this episode, Liz sits down with Jamie for a conversation that goes far beyond martial arts. Jamie's story is one that will resonate with any business owner who has ever had to build something from the ground up, make tough calls with limited resources, and figure out on the fly what kind of leader they actually want to be.

They talk about the extraordinary origin of the Inspired Martial Arts brand, including a logo born from a red t-shirt brought back from Vietnam and a family story involving his brother's recovery from a life changing spinal injury. They dig into how Jamie has built a team by nurturing people from the inside, with some of his best instructors having trained under him since they were eight years old. And they get honest about the tension between moving fast, trusting your gut, and knowing when to slow down and bring the right people in.

Jamie also shares how he built complementary income streams into his business, why he brought his sister on as Finance Director, and what it has meant to have a full time comic book artist on staff bringing the brand's values to life every single month.

This is a conversation about culture, confidence, leadership, and what it really looks like to build something with longevity in mind.

If you are growing a business and wondering whether you are doing it right, this one is for you.

Guest: Jamie Johannes, Founder of Inspired Martial Arts, UK
Find Jamie: LinkedIn

Send us Fan Mail

Ever wondered why some brands just feel right the moment you see them, while others make you hesitate even when you can't explain why? The answer almost always comes down to design.

In this episode, Liz sits down with Vera, graphic designer and brand specialist at C i Marketing, to unpack why consistent, intentional design is one of the most powerful and most underestimated tools in your marketing toolkit.

Vera shares what actually happens inside a designer's brain, why your logo is just the beginning of your brand, and the one thing small business owners keep getting wrong when they're starting out. Plus, why the best brands are actually a little boring and why that's exactly the point.

Whether you're building a brand from scratch, thinking about a refresh, or just wondering if your current look is really working for you, this episode will change the way you think about your visual brand.

In this episode we cover:

• Why your brand is so much more than your logo
• The case for brand guidelines, even if you're a team of one
• When Canva is your best friend and when it isn't
• Why font choices matter more than you think
• How to start building a brand that works harder so you don't have to

Send us Fan Mail

Most small business owners do the same thing when they decide they need more customers. They run an ad.

In this episode, Liz sits down with C i Marketing's in-house marketing strategy expert Emily Cook for an honest, practical and at times very funny conversation about why jumping straight to advertising is one of the most common and costly mistakes a small business can make.

Together they break down exactly what a marketing strategy is, why it comes before everything else, and how to start building yours even if you have a limited budget.

In this episode you will learn:

• The difference between a marketing strategy and a marketing plan, and why the order matters.
• How to define your audience as a real person, not just a demographic.
• What a positioning statement is and the three questions it must answer.
• Why understanding your competitors is not optional.
• How to nail what Emily calls the barbecue pitch, and why every business needs one.
• Why consistency is the thing that builds trust at every touchpoint.

Emily and Liz also share the real story of how C i Marketing was born just after the Christchurch earthquakes, and what has kept them going ever since.

Whether you are just starting out or have been in business for years, this episode will give you a clear framework to build your marketing on foundations that actually hold.

The Visual Marketing Podcast is brought to you by C i Marketing. Search for us on your favourite podcast app and hit follow so you never miss an episode.

Send us Fan Mail

A single hallway chat can change your whole marketing year. Last time we went to Social Media Marketing World, we expected big ideas and clever social media tactics. What we didn’t expect was how quickly the community would pull us in, how many genuine connections we’d make, and how much confidence we’d gain as two Kiwis showing up in a global room.

We talk through what the event actually is, why founder Michael Stelzner’s tone matters, and the moments that stuck with us long after we left San Diego. From meetups and pre-event groups to spontaneous dinners with strangers wearing lanyards, we share how networking can turn into real friendships, accountability partners, and business momentum. We also get practical about conference ROI, including the sales and human behaviour session that helped us close a $20,000 deal days after getting home.

Now we’re heading to Anaheim, Los Angeles for Social Media Marketing World 2026, staying near Disneyland, and we’re planning the trip differently. You’ll hear how we’re choosing sessions (including AI, psychology, and out-of-comfort-zone topics), what we’re packing for long days, and how we’ll capture content on the go using video podcast clips, transcripts, quotes, and behind-the-scenes stories across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok. If you’re building a smarter social media marketing strategy, this is your reminder that the best tactics still start with people.

Subscribe so you don’t miss the post-conference learnings, share this with a mate who loves marketing conferences, and leave a review with your biggest question about Social Media Marketing World or networking.

Send us Fan Mail

If marketing feels like a never-ending list you’re failing to keep up with, you’re not alone and you’re not broken. We’re kicking off the Visual Marketing Podcast to make small business marketing feel doable again, with a practical focus on visual marketing, consistent visibility, and messaging that actually lands with the right people. Visual marketing isn’t just “nice photos” or another round of videos; it’s how your business shows up across your website, social media, emails, and every customer touchpoint, so people recognise you, trust you, and know what to do next.

I’m Liz, founder of C i Marketing in Christchurch, New Zealand, and I’m sharing the real story behind the agency, from losing my dream destination marketing job after the 2011 earthquakes to building a business before I had any idea what running a business really meant. You’ll hear how COVID wiped out our tourism client base overnight, why we chose to reinvent into service-based marketing, and what it took to earn trust in new spaces like healthcare marketing and construction marketing. I also share a personal turning point: taking over my dad’s lift components business after he passed, and how learning a completely new industry built the confidence to adapt again later.

We also tackle the question many owners are asking in a tight economy: should you pull back on marketing spend? I explain why going quiet can be the fastest way to disappear, and how a small, steady budget paired with consistency, clear customer journeys, and customer-first thinking can keep you top of mind. Expect coaching, tips, real stories, and lessons from what we’ve tested, failed at, and made work.

Subscribe, share this with a business mate, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What’s the one marketing thing you know you should do, but keep putting off?