Vanessa Sapino, Senior Vice President and Partner at FleishmanHillard's Sacramento office, joins host Eric Grotenhuis to talk about the real work behind public relations and why she has spent 22 years doing it. From leading the Kubota account for 17 years to one career-defining moment with a celebrity client that she never saw coming, Vanessa has built a career around being ready for whatever comes next.

She gets honest about how PR actually shows up for marketing teams, why the best-laid plans always need a Plan B, when to make a statement and when silence is the smarter play, and how she is putting AI to work without ever letting it leave her hands unchecked.

If you have ever wondered what is happening behind the scenes when a brand handles a moment well (or scrambles when it does not), this one is for you.

Links Mentioned in the show:

https://fleishmanhillard.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessajsapino/

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_________________________

00:31 Meet Vanessa Sapino
01:30 PR Versus Marketing
03:35 Planning And Pivoting
08:09 Sacramento Niche Focus
11:55 Building Media Networks
16:25 Networking Habits
21:32 Weekly Workflow Systems
25:32 Crisis Story Hurricane
32:24 PR Timing Decisions
33:00 Crisis Plans and Messaging
36:35 When Silence Wins
39:45 PR Versus Marketing
41:16 Writing and Press Releases
42:08 Sponsored Content Mix
44:13 Trust in Local News
47:51 Responsible AI in PR
53:39 Career Lessons and Biz Dev
57:17 PR Team of One Advice
58:39 Connect and Wrap Up

When a fan messaged in with real frustration about being stretched too thin, Eric and Mike did what they do best: turned it into a conversation worth having. This one is all about the challenge of finding help when you're a marketing team of one, and why it is harder than it sounds.

They dig into how to figure out what you actually need help with before you go looking, why handing everything to someone new on day one is a recipe for disappointment, and how to vet partners in a way that builds real trust over time. They also get into where to find the right people, from local creative communities to professional networks, and why investing in those relationships before you desperately need them is the move.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://dribbble.com/

https://www.behance.net/

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_____________________________________

00:00 Empowered To Network

00:20 Why Solo Marketers Need Help

01:18 Define The Help You Need

04:26 Build Trust With Small Tests

05:30 Find Partners In Communities

11:17 Online Platforms And Pitfalls

12:37 Marketplaces And Low Risk Trials

15:07 Network Pays Dividends

18:16 Build A Trusted Stable

20:53 Wrap Up And Where To Connect

What happens when you're the strategy lead, the project director, the brand cop, and the air traffic controller all in one?

Monica Griffis, Director of Marketing and Communications at the California School Board Association, joins host Eric Grotenhuis to share how she stepped into a tough situation and built something she's proud of. Her team of about 10 people ran over 800 projects in a single year, sharing how she had to rebuild the foundation while keeping everything moving.

She gets honest about the systems she put in place, the pushback she navigated, and what it actually looks like to bring a team back from the brink.

If you've ever had to build the plane while flying it, this one's for you.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/monicagriffis/

https://monicagriffis.com/

https://www.csba.org/

Project intake form:

https://www.marketingteamofone.net/freebies/project-intake-form/

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_____________________________________

0:00 Introduction & Meet Monica Griffis

3:30 Inside the California School Board Association

12:00 Walking Into Chaos: Monica's First Days on the Job

15:45 Killing the Shiny Object Syndrome & Fixing Email Overload

20:00 Building Systems: Intake Forms, Timelines & Project Management

25:30 Policing the Brand & Getting Buy-In as the New Person

40:00 Tackling Legacy Tech & Serving Nearly 5,000 Trustees

52:45 Biggest Wins & the SOS for Student Achievement Campaign

1:03:00 Where to Find Monica & Wrap-Up

Eric sits down with Jennifer Bourn, graphic designer, business coach, and CMO of Motivation Code, and a marketing team of one herself, for a wide-ranging conversation about what's really working (and what isn't) in marketing right now. Jen gets real about the growing fatigue around social media, why more businesses are pulling back online and returning to offline tactics like networking and events, and how video and podcasts are becoming the new trust-builders. She also dives into the power of showing up with a real voice and perspective, why sharing your failures can actually win clients, and how she built smart systems (hello, 52 pre-scheduled emails!) to handle the stuff she hates so she can focus on what she loves. Whether you're stuck on what to post, struggling to stay consistent, or just tired of chasing algorithms, Jen's got the goods.

Links Mentioned in the show:

https://www.motivationcode.com

https://jenniferbourn.com/

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_____________________________________

02:10 Social Media Fatigue

03:59 Offline Networking Returns

06:17 Channels And Partnerships

09:42 Blogging To Video Trust

2:53 SEO Tools And Audits

16:33 AI For Strategy Not Copy

19:03 Keyword Strategy Basics

21:00 What Is Motivation Code

25:28 Using Assessments At Work

29:54 Auditing And Systemizing Work

31:35 Evergreen Email System

33:11 Sanity Through Focus

36:14 Prompts And Live Edits

39:53 Solo Work And Teaching

41:46 Books And Speaking Doors

44:28 Podcast And Video Trust

46:12 Pancakes And Personal Posts

49:11 LinkedIn Mix That Sells

54:40 Opinions And Comment Strategy

01:00:23 Closing And Where To Find

28,000 views. No images. Just Mike typing his thoughts about AI into LinkedIn and apparently hitting a nerve with a lot of people.

In this episode, Eric pulls Mike into the studio to dig into what sparked that post and where the conversation leads from there. They get into AI branding, what certain tools are signaling about their intentions, and why some of it is starting to feel a little off. They also stumble into a side effect of AI that is quietly causing headaches for businesses right now, and it is not what most people are talking about.

If you have been using AI tools in your workflow and something has felt slightly weird about the whole thing, this episode might be the one that puts words to it.

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_____________________________________

00:00 Creepy Running Ad Cold Open

00:26 Podcast Intro and Catch Up

01:11 Viral LinkedIn Post Setup

02:31 Why He Quit ChatGPT

05:47 Brand Vibes UI and Claude Contrast

08:21 Marketing Research and Fear Factor

09:36 AI Bubble and Agent Horror Story

13:09 RFP Flooding and Business Friction

15:38 Endgame Predictions and Guardrails

18:37 Why Claude Feels Safer

19:51 Wrap Up and Where to Subscribe

Eric sits down with Blair Enns, founder of Win Without Pitching and a respected authority in the sales and marketing world, to explore what it really means to sell expertise with confidence. Known for challenging traditional sales tactics, Blair shares how credibility is built before a sales call ever happens, why mindset matters as much as strategy, and how solo marketers can support sales efforts without slipping into vendor mode. With practical frameworks and clear, experience driven insights, this conversation offers a smarter, more strategic way to think about selling that aligns with how modern teams actually work.

Links Mentioned in the show:

https://www.winwithoutpitching.com/

https://2bobs.com/

https://pitchanything.com/

Books:

The Four Conversations: A New Model for Selling Expertise

https://a.co/d/00RP41VO

The Win Without Pitching Manifesto

https://a.co/d/0e7haq66

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_____________________________________

01:52 Origin Story and First Book

03:36 Four Conversations Overview

05:55 Sales Is the Sample

11:03 Expert Mindset and Mantra

14:46 Probative Conversation Explained

18:31 Lead Gen Ladder and The Flip

22:42 Marketing vs Sales Handoff

30:26 Niching Down for Credibility

34:04 Pursue vs Take Business

34:27 Take the Odd Job

36:04 Qualifying Both Ways

40:47 Stay Clinical Not Needy

47:16 Value Before Price

54:12 Three Option Closing

57:43 Magic Email Follow Up

59:55 Embrace Silence

01:00:43 Wrap Up and Links

This episode of Marketing Team of One steps beyond tactics and into the craft of brand with legendary lettering artist Gerard Huerta. Best known for creating some of the most recognizable logos and lettering in music and publishing, Gerard shares how a career built on drawing, curiosity, and creative discipline led to work that still holds up decades later.

Eric and Gerard talk about why hand-drawn design continues to matter in a digital-first world, how strong brands are shaped through intention and patience, and what it really means to do work you can stand behind years from now. Along the way, Gerard reflects on his creative process, the importance of adaptability, and why great brand work often starts with slowing down.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://www.gerardhuerta.com/

https://www.facebook.com/GerardHuertaDesign/

https://www.instagram.com/gerardhuerta/

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Eric is joined by marketing icon and longtime brand evangelist Guy Kawasaki for an energizing conversation that's equal parts practical, honest, and refreshingly grounded.

Together, they explore what it really takes to build influence in today's marketing landscape, especially when you're doing it all yourself. From the role of evangelism in modern branding to the shifting realities of social media, Guy shares a candid perspective on what still works, what's changed, and what solo marketers should focus on when time and resources are limited.

If you're managing your company's marketing with a small team (or no team at all), this episode will leave you with a clearer mindset on how to create stronger customer connections, make your message more meaningful, and build trust in a way that lasts.

Links mentioned in the show:

https://guykawasaki.com/

https://www.apple.com/

https://www.canva.com/

https://signal.org/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/guy-kawasakis-remarkable-people/

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