The Best Marketing Podcast Ever
By Hannah Isted
169. The big Atomicon debrief
What is Atomicon? How do you pitch to speak there? What's the best advice for getting on that stage?
I'm answering all your questions and sharing how I spoke on stage at Atomicon 2026!
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168. While my chicken Kiev is cooking
How to stop romanticising to the point of not taking action.
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167. Planning your marketing for 2026
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Are you feeling the pressure to have your entire year figured out before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve? In this episode I break down my stress-free approach to annual planning.
Learn why I waits until January to start her own strategy and discover the five essential categories you need to map out to ensure your marketing supports your life—not the other way around.
In this episode we cover:
The Permission to Wait: Why you don’t need to "hit the ground running" on January 1st to have a successful year.
The "Holidays First" Rule: Why mapping out vacations, school holidays, and birthdays is the non-negotiable first step of any marketing plan.
Dates Set in Stone: Factoring in pre-determined events like public speaking engagements and recurring membership launches.
Audience Growth Strategy: How to plan lead magnets and challenges before your big launches so you aren't always selling to the same group of people.
Business Milestones: Using anniversaries and awareness days to create easy, pre-planned content.
166. Being a person who is organised
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Episode 166: Being a Person Who is Organised
In this episode, Hannah Isted explores what it truly means to be "organised" in business and marketing. While she admits she hasn't always felt like an organised person, she shares the specific systems and mindset shifts that allow her to stay consistent and avoid the overwhelm of content creation.
Hannah explains that organisation starts with a clear structure, beginning with a year-long marketing overview that identifies upcoming launches, holidays, and growth goals. She emphasises that planning ahead makes a person much more likely to follow through with their intentions.
To support this, she highlights the importance of content batching sessions, which provide a "bank" of ideas and posts for an entire quarter, effectively removing the daily stress of wondering what to say.
A central theme of the episode is the necessity of a dedicated "home" for your content. Hannah shares her personal reliance on Trello for organizing launches and seasonal content, though she notes that tools like Notion, Google Docs, or even a large sheet of paper can work as long as a consistent system is in place. She also discusses the benefits of using templates in Adobe Express or Canva, explaining how keeping these projects labeled and organised saves significant time when repurposing content from previous years.
The episode concludes with a call to make a conscious mindset shift toward becoming an organised person. Hannah encourages listeners to gather their scattered ideas from notebooks and phone memos into one central place where they will actually be used. By putting these systems in place now, business owners can ensure that "future them" is grateful for the preparation and ease created for the year ahead.
The Best 90 Days Ever: The next round of this marketing membership starts January 1st, featuring daily 10-minute tasks, goal setting, and community support via Slack.
Year of Marketing in a Day: An exclusive workshop for members held on Thursday, January 8th, to plan out the entire year.
Content Batching Session: A three-hour deep dive on Wednesday, January 21st, to create a quarter’s worth of marketing material.
Sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Xero, the small business accounting software designed to help you save time on admin and stay on top of your finances.
165. The Art of Underthinking
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The Best Marketing Podcast Ever - 165. The Art of Underthinking
Host: Hannah Isted
In this episode, Hannah Isted dives into the concept of The Art of Underthinking and how it is the key to overcoming procrastination, perfectionism, and the common business paralysis that comes from overthinking your marketing and content.
Hannah shares her personal struggles with overthinking, from the ironic procrastination of recording this very episode to worrying about wind speed after a greenhouse incident. She argues that the problem isn't the thinking itself, but the resulting lack of action.
Discover how simple boundary-setting tools, like a 10-minute timer and the structured approach of The Best 90 Days Ever program, can help you bypass the overthinking cycle, get content out quickly, and achieve your business goals.
Underthinking is about Action: The core message is that perfectionism and overthinking often lead to procrastination and "paralysis," stopping you from doing the thing you need to do. Underthinking is the deliberate choice to take action instead.
The Power of the 10-Minute Timer: Set a timer (like the yellow one used in The Best 90 Days Ever) for just 10 minutes to focus on an intimidating task without overthinking it. This is how you "get past that stuckness" and get out of your own way.
The Marketing Overthinking Cycle: Many business owners believe marketing must take a long time, so they don't set limits, which makes the task take longer, thus confirming their initial belief and leading to overwhelm.
Practical Underthinking Tips for Content:
Simplify Visuals: Don't overthink the look of your content. For a carousel post, consider using the same photo for every slide to save significant time.
Reuse Templates: Duplicate a successful social media template (e.g., in Adobe Express), only change the text, and post it again to avoid designing from scratch.
Be 10% More Annoying: Stop overthinking the need to be repetitive. Hannah's most popular presentation slide was "Be 10% More Annoying" as a call to action—most of your audience won't notice the repetition anyway.
Practice in Life: Practice making quick, low-stakes "underthinking decisions" in your personal life, such as deciding what dessert to have or what route to take on a walk. Hannah even successfully haggled £20 off her Christmas tree by choosing not to overthink it.
164. The content system that will save your business this Christmas
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The Best Marketing Podcast Ever - Episode 164: The content system that will save your business this Christmas
In this episode, Hannah shares the "Christmas Content System" she has developed that has been a game-changer for reducing stress and saving time during the busy festive season. The goal of the system is to create a foundation of reusable content that saves "future you" time and allows for strategic flexibility in December.
The Purpose of the System
Saves Time and Prevents Stress: The end of the year can be stressful, especially for product businesses focused on sales or service businesses trying to make their offers seasonal. This system is built to help you look after your future self.
Enables Flexibility: Having a bank of ready-to-go content allows you to choose your strategy for the upcoming year—whether you decide to push hard on launches (like last year) or pull back into "maintenance mode" (like this year).
Creative Freedom: When the foundation is sorted, you gain the brain space to come up with new, creative ideas.
Focus on Audience Sentiment: Even if your service isn't seasonal, the way your audience feels will be seasonal. The system helps you address their current thoughts around end-of-year tasks, Christmas content, or January planning.
Building Your Content System
Choose Your Platform: Hannah uses a Trello board to store all her festive content. Members of The Best 90 Days Ever also use platforms like Notion, Air Table, and Google Docs. The key is to pick a platform that works for you.
Capture Reusable Concepts: The system is for capturing content ideas that resonated with people in previous years.
Go Back Through Your Work: Look at content from previous festive seasons that either grew your audience or resulted in sales.
Repurpose, Don't Just Copy: You don't have to copy and paste old posts. Use the system to save a good concept, hook, or visual that can be reused and updated (e.g., turning an old idea into a new Reel).
Current Offers and Promotions
Free Workshop: Join the free workshop, "Help, I've got no Christmas content" , on Wednesday, November 19th, at 12:00 UK time. It's designed to help you create a library of content you can reuse every year. If you miss it, you can still sign up for the recording.
The Best 90 Days Ever Membership: The next round of the membership starts on January 1st. You can join the wait list to receive a weekly email with one of the tasks currently being done by members to get a taste of the community.
Episode Sponsor
This episode is sponsored by Xero. Xero helps small business owners streamline and supercharge their business by simplifying admin like invoicing, expenses, and chasing payments. Use Xero to get paid twice as fast and make tax simple.
163. Putting my business in maintenance mode
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The Best Marketing Podcast Ever - Episode 163: Putting my business in maintenance mode
In this episode, Hannah shares why she is intentionally pulling back from major launches and putting her business into a "maintenance mode" for the final two months of the year. This strategy is designed to maintain the momentum and success achieved throughout the year while creating space to rest, avoid burnout, and enjoy personal activities during the festive season.
An Amazing October
Best 90 Days Ever: The latest launch was a success, achieving the highest-ever member count of 169 (with a goal to reach 200).
Bucket List: Saw Simply Red live in concert.
Anniversary Trip: Celebrated her second wedding anniversary in Rhodes, Greece (a last-minute swap after their original trip to Zante was cancelled).
Vision Board Goal: Traveled to LA with Adobe, fulfilling a vision board goal to be in America for Autumn/Halloween.
The Decision: Entering Maintenance Mode
This mode is the opposite of a website being in maintenance for updates; it's about maintaining current success to prevent burnout.
The final two months (November and December) will be used for rest and breaking from the busy pace of the previous year.
Last year's end-of-year included promoting wall calendars, a retreat day, a free online workshop ("Help, I've got no Christmas content"), the Best 90 Days Ever launch, and a paid online workshop, leading to minimal downtime.
The Maintenance Mode Strategy
Hannah was able to set herself up for a break by planning ahead in September. She calculated the amount needed to cover her set monthly salary for October, November, and December and achieved that goal with the September Best 90 Days Ever launch.
Her three rules for maintenance mode are:
No New Launches: Focus energy and time solely on promoting existing offers.
Time to Be Creative: Use the extra space to play around with new tools and content (inspired by Adobe Max in LA) and feed that knowledge back to her community.
Still Focus on Audience Growth and Promoting The Best 90 Days Ever. This includes maintaining her track record of doubling her email list every year using Flowdesk.
Current Offers and Promotions
Free Workshop: "Help, I've got no Christmas content" workshop (Pushed back to November 19th this year).
Wall Calendars: Launched two months earlier this year to reduce pressure.
The Best 90 Days Ever: The next round starts on January 1st.
Key Takeaways and HighlightsNew Member Bonus: The previous paid workshop (which cost £100 last year) will be included as a free bonus for members of the January, February, and March round of The Best 90 Days Ever (which costs £90), serving as a powerful incentive without a full launch.
162. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 14 - Cool down
Episode 162 - Reflecting on Back to Business Boot Camp: Setting, Shifting, and Scoring Your Goals
We’ve reached the final day of Back to Business Boot Camp! In this episode, I’ll walk you through a gentle Sunday cooldown, giving you space to reflect on your goals, your progress, and how to carry that energy into The Best 90 Days Ever.
What we cover in our cool down
Two weeks might not sound like long, but so much can shift in that time. Today, I’m inviting you to look back at the goals you set at the start of Boot Camp and reflect on what’s changed, what you’ve achieved, and what still feels challenging.
We’ll talk about why it’s perfectly okay to change your goals, how to stay curious instead of critical when things don’t go as planned and how reflection can set you up for even bigger wins in the next round of The Best 90 Days Ever.
Plus, I’m sharing a little bonus task for members who want my personal feedback on their posts — and how I plan to build more of that support into the membership moving forward.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why it’s okay for your goals to shift (and how to reset them).
How to reflect on what worked and what didn’t over the past 14 days.
The power of curiosity over comparison in your marketing.
A simple way to score your progress and track growth over time.
A sneak peek at a brand-new feedback feature inside The Best 90 Days Ever.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode
Join The Best 90 Days Ever here: https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/best90daysever
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hicommunications_/
Let’s Connect
If you’ve found these Boot Camp episodes helpful, please share this podcast with a friend who might need it too. And if you’ve got feedback, I’d love to hear from you!
161. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 13 - Repurposing
5 Quick Content Repurposing Tasks to Save You Time and Boost Your Marketing
It’s Day 13 of Back to Business Boot Camp, and today’s task is all about one of my favourite topics: content repurposing! I’ll walk you through five quick and practical ways to repurpose what you’ve already created so you’re set up for your next best 90 days ever.
Episode Summary
As we head into the final quarter of the year, staying consistent with your marketing doesn’t have to mean constantly reinventing the wheel. In this episode, I share five easy content repurposing exercises that will help you save time, reduce stress, and keep your content fresh. From seasonal tweaks to building a reuse folder, these strategies will make sure you’re never starting from scratch again.
Whether you’re planning your Christmas campaigns or just want to make the most of the content you’ve already created, this episode will inspire you to get organised and ready for your next 90 days of marketing.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
Why content repurposing is the secret to consistent, stress-free marketing.
5 simple repurposing tasks you can complete in just 10 minutes each.
How to create seasonal tweaks that show your audience you “get” them.
Easy ways to build a reuse library that saves you time all year round.
How to turn your lessons and reminders into new, relevant posts.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
Join The Best 90 Days Ever here: https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/best90daysever
Connect with me on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/hicommunications_/
Let’s Connect
If you try today’s repurposing task, I’d love to hear from you! Share your results in our community or drop me a message on Instagram. And if you know someone who would benefit from this episode, please pass it on!
160. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 12 - Sales!
20 Quick Sales Tasks to Boost Your Business Now (Day 12 of Back to Business Boot Camp)
It’s Day 12 of Back to Business Boot Camp, and today we’re tackling one of the biggest topics: selling! I’m sharing a comprehensive list of 20 quick sales tasks you can use to give your marketing a major boost, fill an income gap, or just get back into a confident launch mindset. Whether you need a 10-minute win or a bigger challenge, these ideas will help you promote your business and make more money.
Selling doesn't have to be intimidating or "icky." In this episode, I share 20 practical and specific sales tasks designed to help you generate more revenue and make the cost of programs like The Best 90 Days Ever back with just one or two actions. From creating compelling video content and crafting hyper-specific emails to re-engaging past clients and even selling items from your own home, this list gives you a sales boost exactly when you need it. We cover the crucial steps too many people miss—like clearly stating how customers can buy—and how to use a safe community (like The Best 90 Days Ever group) to practice your selling skills.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
20 quick, actionable sales and marketing tasks to use whenever you need a boost.
Why being specific about what you're selling and how to buy it is the most critical sales task.
How to use live video or Reels to talk about a specific product or service without being "wishy-washy."
The power of checking in with previous customers and warm leads who have gone quiet.
Creative ways to generate new income, including brainstorming a low-cost offer and looking into affiliate streams.
The importance of updating your link in bio and using a who, what, where, when, why, how post for every launch.
Why selling an item from your house can actually get your "sales juices" flowing for your business.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode
Join The Best 90 Days Ever here: https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/best90daysever
Get a copy of the book, The Best 90 Days Ever: https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/product-page/book-the-best-90-days-ever
Connect with me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hicommunications_/
Let’s Connect
I’d love to know which of these 20 sales tasks you're going to try first! Drop me a message on Instagram or share your results in our community. If you know a business owner who is looking for more sales and promotion ideas, please send this episode to them!
159. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 11 - Engagement
10+ Quick Engagement Tasks to Build Stronger Connections (Day 11 of Back to Business Boot Camp)
Welcome to Day 11 of Back to Business Boot Camp! Today, we’re diving into engagement—the two-way street that builds powerful connections. I'm sharing a list of quick, easy tasks that will help you increase engagement for your business and practice generosity by engaging with others. Plus, a quick reminder that it’s okay to pause and catch up, whether on the boot camp tasks or within The Best 90 Days Ever.
Engagement is not a one-way street; to consistently receive it, you need to extend that generosity and give it back! In this episode, I share a list of quick, practical engagement tasks—most of which take less than 10 minutes—that you can use to start conversations, build connections, and meet your audience where they are right now.
We cover the art of asking specific, engaging questions in emails and posts (even if they aren't about your business), why using different Instagram Story stickers can help, and the powerful feeling you can give to others by simply replying to their newsletters or posts. This is about taking regular, consistent action to build meaningful relationships with your audience and community.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode
10+ quick engagement tasks you can write down and pull out when you have a spare 10 minutes.
Why giving engagement is just as important as receiving it, and how it helps build lasting relationships.
The importance of setting a 10-minute timer for tasks like introductions to maintain momentum.
How to use specific questions in your emails and posts to get real replies (and why vague questions don't work).
Why asking your audience for personal recommendations (like a suitcase!) can be a great connection-builder.
The power of creating content around a common feeling your audience is experiencing right now.
The best way to use a survey to gather insights and create new content.
Why replying to Instagram Stories and email newsletters from people you admire is a highly effective, free way to build strong connections.
Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode
Join The Best 90 Days Ever here - https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/best90daysever
The 30 Days of 10 Minute Reels digital product - https://30-days-of-10-minute-reels.teachery.co/payment-page
Connect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hicommunications_/
Let’s Connect: Which of these quick engagement tasks are you going to add to your "bowl" this week? I highly recommend setting aside 10 minutes to reply to an email newsletter you enjoyed—it feels great to give that little boost to someone else! Don't forget, The Best 90 Days Ever is open now, and we start Day 1 on October 1st.
158. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 10 - Instagram stories
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157. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 9 - Email marketing
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156. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 8 - Content plan
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155. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 7 - Reflection
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154. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 6 - Next week content
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153. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 5 - Quick videos
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152. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 4 - PR
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151 . Back to Business Bootcamp Day 3 - Websites
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150. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 2 - Accountability
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149. Back to Business Bootcamp Day 1 - Goals
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148. Getting your content out quickly
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How to react quickly with your marketing and reflections on the Business Book Awards!
147. Why 10-minute marketing feels weird
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146. How to *actually* create 10 minute content
145. Just get up (and other car boot sale and business advice)
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144. 3 easy pieces of content to create today
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143. Less screen time, more focus and being a better employee to my business
This episode of The Best Marketing Podcast Ever is all about being a better employee. If you've noticed your screen time going up but your focus going down, I'm going to talk about 3 ways I'm hoping to improve mine!
Try the Opal screen time app! or use the referral code "T8P32"
142. Part 7 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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141. Part 6 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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140. Part 5 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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139. Part 4 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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138. Part 3 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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137. Part 2 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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136. Part 1 - Pre-Summer Sprint
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135. A Summer of Underthinking
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134. Marketing without motivation
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133. How to make money this summer without doing any work
3 ways you can sell your offers this summer when you're taking some off!
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132. Your Easiest Summer of Business Ever
How you can have your easiest summer of business ever and enjoy marketing!
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131. You don't need anymore content ideas
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The recording will be available if you join after 29th April 2025.
130. How I'm growing my audience between launches
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129. Listen to this if you REALLY need a kick up the butt
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128. Listen to this if you're not getting results
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127. Listen to this if you're feeling jealous
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126. Listen to this if you don't have enough time for marketing
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125. Big fish diaries
In this episode I talk about making my focus of 2025 having 'Big Fish Energy' and the opportunities that have happened so far this year!
124. Show your social media some love this Valentine's Day
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In this episode I talk about how to improve your relationship social media using the 5 love languages. We focus on physical touch and how you can grow your audience on social media by putting your phone down and getting outside!
123. Why my first physical product launch was almost my last
In this episode I talk through my first physical product launch, the things that went wrong and whether I would do it again next year.
I also covered how I found marketing and selling the calendar and if it was worth it!
Get your own year wall calendar here https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/product-page/2025calendar
122. Your Best Year of Business Ever - Part 4
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121. Your Best Year of Business Ever - Part 3
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120. Your Best Year of Business Ever - Part 2
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