Business of Circularity

The music industry has had to deal with serious shifts in the way people pay for music. The result, artists needing to get more creative than ever to give their fans an experience. Cormac McGee (aka. DJ Deadweight) joins me to discuss the ins and the outs of getting your music heard. Even if you don’t have a musical bone in your body, this episode has tons of tactics you can model in your work. We pull back the curtain of the music industry and chat about:Playlist Brokers (Or The Reason You Hear Certain Artists on Spotify)How to Market Your Music to Your 3 Most Important CustomersThe Formula Top Stars Use to Launch a New Song (and Get Triple The Streams)To get a behind the scene look at the making of this podcast, and other exclusive content, go to stewarthillhouse.com/topofmindYou can connect with Cormac McGee (https://www.djdeadweight.com/) through his site and Instagram (www.instagram.com/cormac.mcgee) Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

For how much time we spend working in our lives, we sure are terrible at talking about it with others. Terry Schilling breaks down the exact framework he uses before any copywriting project to get his clients speaking clearly about their value. We talk about:Why you need to be very specific when writing on the internetHow to discover who your ideal customer isWhat you need to consider when creating a brand voiceAnd so much more!Check out Terry’s three step guide we talk about in this episode here: https://www.terryschillingwrites.com/howtowritewhatyoudo Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

How do you know if you company has a bad name? When your accountant tells you you’re not making enough money. Louise Karch (a.k.a. The Name Whisperer) joins me to give a Masterclass on naming. We cover:The two most important questions you need to ask when testing a new nameHow the sounds we hear influence our emotionsHow to take advantage of our brains wiring to stand out in a crowd And so much more!Her award winning book: Word Glue - How To Find Your Million Dollar Brand Name (https://www.wordglue.co/) will help to guide you and your team on your next Name Storming session. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

My guest today, Taylor Harrington,  makes sure that we get our daily dose of Seth Godin marketing insights as the Director of Digital Marketing at Seth Godin’s Akimbo Workshops. She believes that we're on the brink of something truly magical when it comes to digital communities and connections. We discuss:What makes a healthy online community?Does Imposter Sydrome ever go away?The future of social networks.How Seth Godin's teams thinks about content creation.And so much more.You can say hi to Taylor on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-harrington/)  be sure to mention this episode. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Daniel Englebretson talks us through the tactics and techniques of how to pull off an effective account-based marketing strategy. We jump into:How to identify your ideal customers (and build a list for free)What kind of marketing content you should be creating to get the right kind of attentionWhere you should be spending your energy and effortsAnd so much more!Daniel Englebretson (https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielenglebretson/) is an accomplished B2B marketing expert with an impressive track record. His marketing agency Khronos (https://khronos.agency/) works with businesses to generate return on their marketing investments. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

What brands come to mind for these product categories: electric vehicle, tissue, ketchup. I’d be willing to bet you said Tesla, Kleenex, and Heinz. That’s because those three brands all own the categories in which they compete. And what better way to dominate your category than by creating it yourself!In this episode, I’m joined by category designers Kevin Maney (https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinmaney/) and Mike Damphousse (https://www.linkedin.com/in/damphoux/).Kevin co-authored the Category Creator handbook, Play Bigger, and has written extensively on the topic for Fortune, Fast Company, and The Atlantic. Mike is an experienced sales and marketing executive with two decades worth of experience and numerous businesses under his belt. Together, they are the founders of Category Design Advisors (https://www.categorydesignadvisors.com/). Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Over the last few years, thousands of business to business (B2B) software platforms and tools have emerged. Each promise huge returns in exchange for their large price tags. Jay Baron (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaysbaron/) joins me today to re-think how much we should be replying on these tools to get our marketing done. He goes deep into: Why you need to simplify your marketing tech stack (and get rid of some tools)How to fix the bottom of your funnel to get conversionsHis thoughts on how to use webinars as a live sales callAnd so much more. As always, Tweet me at https://twitter.com/stew_hillhouse to suggest guests or topics you’d like for upcoming shows. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

If you’re reading this right now, I’m going to assume that you’re pretty bought into the whole podcasting thing. But not everyone has caught on yet, which makes it an opportune time to get started growing your business with a podcast. Erik Jacobson is the founder of Lemonpie (https://lemonpie.fm/), a full service podcast company. Previously, he assembled one of the best collections of business podcasts ever called Startup Mixtape (https://www.startupmixtape.fm/). In this discussion we cover:Why every business should consider starting a podcast (for internal and external reasons). What are some new business models that are evolving in the podcast space. How Erik strategizes a podcast launch to reach the ideal audience. And so much more. As always, let me know who you’d like to see on the show next by reaching out to me on Twitter (https://twitter.com/stew_hillhouse). Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Public relations often spark images of Spin Doctors, 1970’s advertisers (think Mad Men), or Olivia Pope rushing in to save the President from a media frenzy. Liz Duff joins me to explain why that’s just not true by debunking The 5 Misconceptions around PR. She also lays out the strategy that she’s using at SalesRight (https://salesright.co/) to get the founder tons of earned media through being a podcast guest. PR and marketing are not the same thing - but if you can learn to do both, you’ll be able to earn more traffic than you’ll know what to do with! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

When you’re tasked with understanding the needs of over 40M monthly unique visitors, you develop a skill for figuring out what kind of content people want to see. Previously, Jim Thompson was the Chief Audience Officer at Billboard Media Group, managing the audience across properties like Billboard Top 100, The Hollywood Reporter, Spin, Vibe, and Stereogum (https://www.billboard.com/). He is now the Analytics Advisor to Team Gary Vaynerchuck (https://www.garyvaynerchuk.com/). We chat about: How to ask better questionsWhat exactly is Small Data?Where he sees media moving in 3 yearsEnjoy! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

QuHarrison Terry doesn’t only speculate about the future - he creates it. As Growth Marketer for Mark Cuban companies and founder of Inevitable / Human, he knows a thing or two about how to think about what makes a future thinker. Find him online at https://twitter.com/QuHarrison and https://www.linkedin.com/in/quharrison-terry-728b3a89/We discuss how he would build a growth marketing strategy for a company seeking users, where he sees opportunity, and just how close we are to a hardware agnostic world. He also generously is offering listeners of this podcast a super-discounted rate to give Inevitable / Human a trial. Head to 1q9x.com to get your first 3 months of membership for only $3. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

When it comes to writing copy or choosing the photos for a campaign, the last thing any marketer wants to do is start a focus group. But if you make feedback and data collection part of your customer experience mapping, then making creative decisions can be a snap. Clay Ostrom is the founder of Map & Fire, where he helps businesses create a smart, data driven brand. On this episode, we chat about: How to use data to make better creative decisionsWhy marketing and the founder need to have alignment on the purpose of the businessWhat data every marketer should be collectingAnd so much more.Enjoy! Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

If you’re a one-person marketing team, then this episode is for you. Sarah Noel Block has made a name for herself by serving a specific type of marketer - a tiny marketer. Though their teams may be small and their budgets, even smaller, tiny marketer's punch way above their weight class to drive serious business outcomes.Sarah Noel Block is a writer, the founder of tiny marketing, and the marketing manager of the Chicago Faucet Company. Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

It shouldn’t matter if you’re a B2B or a B2C brand - video is a trend that isn’t going away anytime soon. And what better time to get started - my iPhone now takes better videos than my super nice DSLR from a few years ago. In this episode, founder of Zest Media Productions Gabe Roy breaks down what videos are a MUST have for all businesses. If you like what you’re hearing, then you’ll love what else I’ve got cooking. I’m going to be releasing exclusive behind-the-scenes audio, video, and written content inspired by these podcast episodes. Plus, it’s also where I’ll share with you my swipefiles and candid takes on marketing seen in the wild. Click here to get immediate access to the archived library and to be notified when new podcast episodes drop. Cheers,Stewart Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

So, to get the ball rolling, I’m uploading this cheesy trailer to turn the feed on. I’m thinking that an episode on how to get a podcast started would be helpful to a lot of people, because frankly, it’s complicated. In the meantime, be sure to sign up to know exactly when the first episode of the podcast drops. Cheers, Stew Get on the email list at topofmind.substack.com --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Over the course of a 40 year career, it will be typical for a single employee to go through over 14 personal computers. That doesn't even include smartphones, monitors, mice, keyboards, or any other accessory that's required in a modern workspace. Enter Stephen Haskew from Circular Computing. For the last 25 years Circular Computing has been remanufacturing hardware, allowing perfectly good laptops a second life. In this interview, we cover the standardization of electronic disposal, the challenges of building a new brand, and how he sees supply chains differently than most. If you enjoyed this episode, please be sure to leave a comment on Apple Podcasts. It really helps others see this show and spreads the word of circularity. You can reach out to me on Twitter at stew_hillhouse --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

I speak with Ani Wells, the founder of Simply Suzette. Simply Suzette is an online boutique curating the best ethically and sustainably sourced denim. She touches on some very important topics being discussed in the denim industry including use of water, end-of-life, and what to do with all the wasted materials. Instagram Pinterest --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Returnity Innovations is the pioneer in the elimination of single use shipping packaging. Returnity builds out solutions and empowers the systems necessary for companies to shift to the new circular economy. I speak with Mike Newman, the CEO of Returnity. They work with leading eCommerce brands like ThredUp, Rent The Runway, and Trunk Club. Reach out to me on Twitter to let me know what guests you'd like in the future. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

On this weeks episode, I speak with Juliette Barre, the Director of Business Development & Marketing at Sourcemap. Sourcemap’s vision is to make supply chains 100% traceable and transparent by offering brand the ability to track the source of every material used in their products. We discuss how the global supply chain keeps the world's economy chugging, where the areas that need improvement are, and how technology like blockchain is allowing for supply chain mapping like never before. https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliettebarre/ https://www.sourcemap.com/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Stephanie Benedetto is the co-founder and CEO of Queen of Raw, an online marketplace where textile manufacturers can sell what otherwise would have been considered waste. 15% of the $800B textile and fabric market is burned or buried each year. Stephanie founded Queen of Raw in order to reduce the amount of water wasted in this over-production and to allow producers to turn a cost into a new revenue source. https://www.queenofraw.com/ https://www.instagram.com/queenofraw/ https://twitter.com/queenofraw --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Tom Leenders is the co-founder of Gerrard Street, a modular subscription based headphone company. His passion for music encouraged him to build a headphone company that is able to deliver professional audio, all while eliminating waste and ownership along the way. We discuss how they've been able to combine two business models, how to identify new markets when scaling, and why businesses like his are changing how people use physical products. Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gerrard_street/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/Gerrard_Street --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Marco Pesce is a postdoctoral researcher and consultant at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. He’s spent the last 4 years focusing on creating and implementing new tools to facilitate the adoption of circular economy and sustainability principles by Chinese organizations. We discuss how research and academia plays into the circular economy, what indicators you should be paying attention to when quantifying your impact, and what business models Chinese businesses are implementing to kick-start the sharing economy. Twitter: @AskMarcoPesce – www.twitter.com/askmarcopesce Linkedin: marcopesceve – www.linkedin.com/in/marcopesceve --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Tabitha Osler is a designer, mother, and founder of Faire Child, an eco-innovative outerwear company for kids. Faire Child produces stylish minimalistic outerwear by using sustainable materials made from recycled water-bottles, and also offer a give-back program once your child grows out of it. We discuss how her inspiration lead her to start her outerwear business, how she was able to source the proper material for her need, and how she plans to scale her business across the world. Faire Child ships internationally, available to purchase at https://www.fairechild.com/ To see more, check out their Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/fairechild/ --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message

Thanks for tuning in! In this episode Business of Circularity Host Stewart Hillhouse introduces himself and the purpose of this podcast. He discusses the importance of the Circular Economy, how he got involved, and a little story about squirrels. Important things mentioned: Ellen MacArthur Foundation Stewart's Twitter Please be sure to rate this podcast and share it with friends. It's the best way to spread the word about the Circular Economy and get one step closer to closing the loop. Let's make circular the only way. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/topofmind/message