Branding isn’t your logo—it’s the gut feeling people have about your business. In this conversation, Mike (Gen X, branding/web guy) and Liz (Gen Z, social strategist) dig into what brand really means for small businesses and how to make yours memorable without a Fortune 500 budget.

• Brand ≠ logo: Voice, values, experience, and how you communicate are the brand; visuals support it.
• Experiential branding in the wild: Why Red Bull and Liquid Death resonate—and what small businesses can borrow.
• Local proof: How places like Marietta Coffee Co. lean into space and vibe to attract the right people.
• Make it stick: The role of repetition and consistency (those 7–12 “brand hits”).
• Stand out vs. fit in: When to choose industry norms and when to intentionally disrupt (colors, tone, presence).
• Refresh or rebrand?: Signs you need a visual tune-up vs. a ground-up reset.
• Test, don’t guess: Getting feedback from ideal customers (and weighting input wisely).
• Storytelling that converts: Show life before and after your brand—the simple “status quo → transformation” arc.

• Commit to consistency: Pick a primary + secondary color palette and apply it everywhere (site, socials, slides, signage).
• Tighten your introduction: Craft a repeatable 1-line pitch/tagline you actually use at networking events.
• Audit your touchpoints: Invoices, emails, proposals—do they reflect your voice (casual vs. formal, playful vs. polished)?
• Logo toolkit check: Ensure you’re using related logo variations (horizontal/stacked/mono), not unrelated marks.

We dive into the patterns that trip up small business owners—and how to avoid them. From launching multiple ventures at once to picking the wrong marketing partner, we unpack why these mistakes happen, how to spot them early, and what to do instead. We draw the line between personal brand and company brand, warn against chasing “viral” at any cost, and share the unglamorous truth: systems and runway matter as much as logos and likes.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

• Why “many passions” can confuse one audience—and how to pick one plate to spin first

• Personal brand vs. company brand (without muddying your message)

• Ask for help sooner: legal structure, taxes, ops—then branding/social

• Choosing the right-fit marketing partner

• Brand safety on social: views ≠ the right attention

• Websites aren’t invitations—you still need distribution

• Systems + CRM + automated invoicing = time back

• Runway basics: buffers and “worry dates” that prevent panic decisions

• Audits and the “Why Test”: if you can’t explain why you posted it, rethink it

ACTION STEPS

1. Audit your last 5 posts—write the why for each.
2. Interview 2–3 providers (web/branding/social) for fit, not prestige.
3. Choose one offering to push to momentum before adding another.
4. Calculate a simple runway and set a “worry date.”

Have a question or a mistake we should cover? Send it in — we may feature it in a future episode. If this helped, follow/subscribe and share with a fellow business owner.

Welcome to the very first episode of Marketing from X 2 Z! 🎙️ Hosts Mike Albuquerque (Bear Double Design Studio) and Liz Bachmann (Wildflower Social Media) kick things off by sharing their journeys from corporate life to entrepreneurship—and why they launched this podcast for small business owners.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How our backgrounds shaped our approach to marketing.
• Why market research matters for finding the right fit.
• Practical ways to build a brand and social presence from scratch.
• Common marketing pitfalls (and how to avoid them).
• Real client stories and lessons you can apply today.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your strategy, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you cut through the noise and grow your business.