001. What the heck is marketing, anyway?

Welcome to the spicy marg-fueled birth of We Know Marketing, We Promise — the no-BS marketing podcast for agency owners, solopreneurs, and brand builders who are tired of bro-y advice and wasted ad spend.

In this kickoff episode, Kelsie Downs and Naoma Serna-Zahn share how a trip to Mexico City (and a little deadline pressure) turned a casual idea into a full-blown podcast. They talk about what marketing actually is (spoiler: it’s not just posting on Instagram), why brand strategy comes first, and the hard lessons that come from working with less-than-ideal clients.

You’ll hear real talk on:

• Why your target audience is not “everyone”

• The difference between branding and marketing (and why you need both)

• How to plant seeds now for leads later

• What to look for (and run from) when hiring a marketing pro

• The importance of values, authenticity, and knowing who the heck you are

This one’s for the founders doing it all, the creatives running their own show, and anyone who's ever said “I need marketing” but didn’t know where to start.