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EP 270: Building A Brand That Defies Stereotypes With 300 Pounds And Running Host Martinus Evans

In This Episode:

  • Why Martinus Evans started running in the first place
  • How his idea of a runner changed at the starting line of his first race
  • Why Toastmasters played a bit part in his decision to play bigger
  • How he’s defining his brand on his own terms

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My now-husband and I agreed on our second date: we are not people who run for fun.

Run to escape zombies, sure. Run as a necessary part of a pickup game of basketball, okay.

But run for miles on end chasing some feeling of inner contentment? Hell no.

It was much to his dismay, then, when I started running 3 years ago.

I started running because I wanted to move my body more and practice personal accountability. Running seemed the easiest way to do it—no gym membership, no expensive equipment. Just sneakers and pavement.

But still, I was not running for fun. I was not one of those people.

Now, let’s pause for a second and imagine what those people look like and sound like.

Maybe you picture Rob Lowe’s character from Parks & Rec—high energy, frenetic, obsessive, and very trim.

Maybe you picture marathon runner Des Linden who became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years back in 2018. She’s petite, wiry, and has that stare of someone completely focused on her goals.

Maybe you picture a friend of yours, a coworker, or a family member who has been running their whole life.

That’s how I pictured those people—the people who run for fun—a few years ago too.

When I started running races, however, I realized that the picture of a runner that I had in my mind couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, sure—there are plenty of wiry, high-energy, trim people who toe the starting line.

But there are also people of all different shapes, personalities, and backgrounds who race, too.

We’re all runners—no matter how “off brand” any of us might seem.

Now, I know I use running & fitness metaphors quite a bit on this show. But today, there’s a very good reason why I’m talking about running.

Back on that second date with my husband, I had a certain idea of who a runner was and how someone got to enjoy running. Think of that as the brand of “running.” When I started running, I didn’t feel very on-brand.

Now, my guest is Martinus Evans, the host of the 300lbs And Running podcast and the founder of the Slow AF Run Club.

Martinus isn’t very “on brand” either if you consider a runner someone wears short shorts and only eats salads. But Martinus is very much a runner. And Martinus has built a brand around rebranding who you think of when you think of a runner.

Today, we’re talking about building a brand that defies convention and stereotypes.

Martinus and I chat about how he got started sharing his journey to become a runner, how his first race changed his own idea of who a runner is, and why Toastmasters played a big part in him finding the confidence to go big. We also talk about dealing with negativity online and why he chose to create the Slow AF Run Club as a standalone community instead of a Facebook group.

Now, let’s find out what works for Martinus Evans!

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  • Your website
  • Your content
  • Your courses
  • Your community
  • Your events online and in real life
  • And charge for them…all while building YOUR brand.

Visit mightynetworks.com to see more examples of brands bringing people together and taking their businesses to the next level.

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EP 299: How To Design Your Own Sales System

EP 299: How To Design Your Own Sales System

This week, I’ve got 4 more stories to share with you from small business owners who have intentionally done things their own way when it comes to sales and selling. They’ve found what truly works for them–even if it bucks the prevailing wisdom or would make a bro marketing expert role his or her eyes.

These stories come from business coach Ashley Gartland, marketing expert Amy Lippmann, designer Mel Richards, and work reinvention coach Lydia Lee.

Listen for how they incorporated these same considerations into finding their own unique sales systems. They designed their systems with personal values, strong relationships, reduced anxiety, and agency in mind.

EP 298: Creating A Less Harmful Sales System with Wanderwell Founder Kate Strathmann

EP 298: Creating A Less Harmful Sales System with Wanderwell Founder Kate Strathmann

This show is called What Works for a reason.

Sometimes it’s a declaration: this is what worked for this small business. And often, it’s a question, “What works?”

Today’s episode is very much a question, many questions, really:

What works when it comes to selling when you want to avoid manipulative or exploitative practices?

What works when your values conflict with many of the best practices of selling online but you still want people to buy your stuff?

What works when it comes to sales in a business that is actively anti-racist and anti-capitalist?

And even more bluntly: Can you even sell things without causing harm or perpetuating harmful systems?

My friend Kate Strathmann is the founder of Wanderwell, a bookkeeping and consulting firm that grows thriving businesses while investigating new models for being in business.

Recently, Kate took a bit of a detour from how she’s used to building her business, which is 90% referral based and fueled by deep relationship- and community-building. She decided to offer a small group program called the Equitable Business Incubator as a way of exploring anti-capitalist business practices and how they apply to the small businesses we’re building.

To fill the program, Kate need to sell differently.

Which led her to asking the question: Can you even sell things as a anti-capitalist?

While that might not be your specific question, I have a feeling that you too have wondering how you can effectively sell your offers without causing harm, perpetuating harmful systems, or damaging relationships. And that’s why I knew Kate and I needed to explore this topic on the show.

This is a conversation about what a kinder, less harmful sales process could look like—and it probably contains more questions than answers. But I’m confident those questions can help you find the answers that are right for you and the sales system that you want to build to make your business stronger.

We start out by defining what we’re really talking about when we talk about capitalism and anti-capitalism. Then, Kate shares how the Equitable Business Incubator came to be and how she ended up selling it. And then we dig into what makes many of the sales formulas and best practices being taught today problematic—and how to think differently to create your own alternative practices.

Now, let’s take a look at what works for creating less harmful sales systems!

EP 297: Selling A New Program With Proof To Product Founder Katie Hunt

EP 297: Selling A New Program With Proof To Product Founder Katie Hunt

Today’s guest is Katie Hunt—who is a member of the former group and serves the latter group.

Katie is the founder of Proof To Product, which helps creative entrepreneurs run and grow thriving product-based businesses. She works with designers, illustrators, and artists to help them develop in-demand product lines and get them sold in stores all over the world.

Not long after the pandemic threw her business and the industry she serves for a major loop, Katie and her team launched Proof To Product Labs to provide a completely digital, ongoing support opportunity for business owners when they needed it most.

And that launch was a smash.

Katie and I get into all of the nuts and bolts of how she adjusted the offer to meet the moment and how she warmed up her audience before the campaign, as well as the exact mix of emails, podcast ads, and social media content she used to sell the offer when it went live. We also talk about how she sees the sales system evolving in the future and how the offer has been received now that people are using it!

What Works offers in-depth, well-researched content that strips away the hype of the 21st-century economy. Whether you love the podcast, the articles, or the Instagram content, we’d love your support.