What You’ll Learn:

• Why being a Jack-of-all-trades hurts your brand and confuses your ideal customer
• The importance of focusing on your area of expertise in marketing
• Real-world business analogies from GoPro, Garmin, and energy drink brands
• A personal story from my days as a college swimmer—and what it taught me about business focus
• How targeting too broadly leads to wasted time, effort, and content marketing burnout

Key Takeaways:

• Confusion is your biggest enemy. If your ideal customer isn’t sure what you do or who you serve, they won’t buy.
• It’s better to start small and specific, then scale your business strategically.
• Don’t "throw spaghetti at the wall" with your messaging—clarity and consistency win every time.

In this episode of Wellness Marketing 101, I break down social identity theory and how small health and wellness businesses can use it to build stronger, deeper connections with their ideal customers. Drawing from my academic background and real-world entrepreneurial experience, I explains how identities—like being a mom, an athlete, or an immigrant—influence buying behavior, and how businesses can align their messaging to resonate authentically with their ideal customers.

What You’ll Learn:

• What social identity theory is and why it matters in marketing
• How people form multiple identities throughout life
• How to uncover the identities that drive your customers' decisions
• Real-world brand example: how Bumbleride strollers speak to both eco-conscious and athletic moms
• The power of messaging: tailoring your language to the motivations behind your customer’s identity
• The importance of market research in understanding your audience's "buying identity"

Key Takeaways:

• Consumers buy through the lens of identity—learn which one your brand taps into.
• You can (and should) speak to overlapping identities (e.g., mom + athlete + environmentalist).
• Different customer motivations (want to look good/feel good vs. a medical problem) require distinct messaging strategies.

In this episode of Wellness Marketing 101, I dive into one of the most powerful tools in small business marketing: storytelling. Discover how your own authentic stories can help your health and wellness business connect deeply with customers, stand out from the crowd, and build lasting loyalty that will turn into your customers into brand advocates.

Drawing from my personal experiences—from growing up in Bulgaria to supporting small local businesses in the U.S.—I explain why storytelling isn't just good marketing; it's human psychology in action. I also share actionable tips for crafting your brand's story to make sure you elevate your brand message online and offline.

Key Takeaways:

• Why storytelling works: Humans connect with stories emotionally before they respond logically.
• Real-life examples: From family-owned stores in Bulgaria to local eco-friendly cleaning services in the U.S.
• Marketing psychology: Storytelling helps customers remember your message and trust your mission.
• Practical storytelling prompts: Share your why, your mission, and the impact you're creating.
• Advice for small business owners: Use storytelling to build internal and external brand loyalty.
• Insights from conversations with my students: How price sensitivity and target demographics affect story-driven sales

Action Steps:

1. Reflect on why you started your business. Tell your story!
2. Share a story about a customer experience or early struggle.
3. Incorporate your story into your digital content.
4. Train your team to align with your brand values (internal branding).