The Book Leads: Impactful Books For Life & Leadership

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Episode 178: ⁠Desiree Martinez⁠ and her book,⁠ Stop Marketing, Start Belonging.: Real-World Marketing That Builds Loyal Customers Anywhere⁠

April 28
1h 31m

Episode Description

Episode 178: Desiree Martinez and her book, Stop Marketing, Start Belonging.: Real-World Marketing That Builds Loyal Customers Anywhere

About Desiree

Desiree Martinez has been marketing since Myspace, back when coding your profile was the ultimate flex. With more than 15 years of experience helping small businesses grow, she has built a career turning marketing overwhelm into clarity and connection. As the founder and CEO of The Kast Agency, Desiree helps service-based and community-driven businesses build strategies that actually work in the real world. Known for her straightforward, sassy approach, Desiree has partnered with brands like Adobe, Streamyard, and VidIQ, and has helped thousands of small business owners grow through trust, consistency, and community. When she is not coaching or creating content, Desiree can be found on her Michigan homestead, sipping tea, rolling dice in Dungeons & Dragons, or chasing her next big idea. Stop Marketing, Start Belonging is her guide for building loyal customers and a business people truly care about.

Conversation Highlights

  • Desiree shares her path from aspiring animator to digital marketing expert with over 17 years of experience
  • Lessons learned from platform rises and falls, including MySpace, Facebook, and Google Plus, and how adaptation is critical for survival
  • The evolving role of AI in marketing, government influence, and the importance of owning your audience
  • How her childhood traits, like extroversion and creativity, have shaped her professional approach
  • The philosophy of “Start Suck Get Better” and embracing imperfection in entrepreneurship
  • An overview of her book, Stop Marketing, Start Belonging, and its foundational principles
  • The importance of human connection in digital marketing and authentic relationship building
  • Reflections on societal shifts, seasons of relationships, and the power of curiosity in personal and professional growth

The MAIN QUESTION for you that comes out of my conversation with Desiree is, What kind of resilience, adaptability, and appreciation have you built in your life that you unknowingly have used to move forward, building up and elevating yourself and others in the process? 

Find Desiree

LinkedIn - Full Podcast Article: 

CHAPTERS

00:00 - The Book Leads Podcast - Desiree Martinez

01:00 - Introduction & Bio

03:27- Who are you today? Can you provide more information about your work?

07:46 - How did your path into your career look like, and what did it look like up until now?

28:39 - How does the work you're doing today reconcile to who you were as a child?

32:22 - What do you consider your superpower?

46:36 - What does leadership mean to you?

57:52 - Can you introduce us to the book we’re discussing?

01:05:18 - A breakdown of the chapters in the book.

01:07:35 - What's changed in you in the process of writing this book?

01:10:09 - What’s next for your writing?

01:25:11 - What book has inspired you?

01:29:57 - What are you up to these days? (A way for guests to share and market their projects and work.)

This series has become my Masterclass In Humanity. I'd love for you to join me and see what you take away from these conversations.

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