1661 - Looking Under The Soil with The Business Growers' Laura Johns

In this episode of the Thoughtful Entrepreneur, your host Josh Elledge speaks to the Founder & CEO  of The Business Growers, Laura Johns. Laura Johns is the driving force behind The Business Growers, a company that serves as a fractional CMO and implementation team for founder-led companies with 50 or fewer employees. The Business Growers is a godsend for companies that may not need or can't afford an entire marketing team. They provide both implementation and high-level strategy services, filling the gap in the market for affordable yet practical marketing solutions. Laura shared that companies often hire individuals with high expectations, expecting them to handle all aspects of marketing. This can be challenging and often leads to less-than-optimal results. The Business Growers works well with companies that have an in-house marketing person who serves as a liaison and project manager but lacks the skill set to execute marketing strategies fully. If this sounds like your company, then you might be ready for The Business Growers' services. Laura emphasized the importance of consistent branding and messaging. She suggests checking if all marketing materials, websites, business cards, and email signatures are consistent. This consistency is vital to creating a strong brand identity that resonates with your target audience. Key Points from the Episode: The Business Growers is a fractional CMO and implementation team for founder-led companies Discussion on when a company might be ready to hire The Business Growers' services Branding, messaging, and social media strategies for increasing visibility and attracting leads Insights on thought leadership and authenticity on social media Origin of the name "The Business Growers" and the size of Laura's team The Business Growers works well with companies that have an in-house marketing person but lack the skill set to fully execute marketing strategies Importance of consistent branding and messaging across marketing materials Laura's journey from accidental entrepreneur to starting The Business Growers About Laura Johns: Laura Johns is the accomplished founder and CEO of The Business Growers, a prominent marketing firm specializing in serving B2B telecom, SaaS, IT, and cloud-services industries. With an impressive career spanning 18 years, Laura's expertise has been honed through managing marketing efforts for a diverse range of companies, from tech startups to global conglomerates, with nearly half of her career spent as a corporate marketing executive in the telecommunications sector. Her primary focus centres on developing highly effective marketing strategies tailored to technology companies, leading to tangible and significant successes. Today, The Business Growers boasts an extensive clientele of over 50 companies across 15 states. Laura's contributions to her home state of Mississippi have not gone unnoticed, as she has received accolades such as "Top 50 under 40" and "Top 50 Leading Women in Business." She is a distinguished member of the Leadership Mississippi program, an honour conferred by the Mississippi Economic Council. Laura's educational background is equally impressive, graduating cum laude from Mississippi College and earning a Master of Arts degree from the University of Alabama. She is also recognized as the co-founder and host of two notable podcasts: "The Home and The Hustle," catering to working moms and "<a...