Kathryn Aragon: Recent Episodes
None
A breath of fresh air. This was my immediate response to You Can Just Do Things, by Cate Hall. At a time when most new books are written by AI, which makes them all blur into one continuous stream of boring advice, Hall has a refreshingly original voice and uses it masterfully to share a […]
The post You Can Just Do Things, a Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
As leaders, we have all heard the ultimate corporate defense mechanism: “But that’s not how we’ve always done it.” It’s a comfortable excuse, but it’s completely detached from reality. We live in an era where technology has fundamentally rewoven the fabric of our daily lives. From the way we communicate to how we automate, the […]
The post Why Every Leader Needs to Learn to “Free Fall” in an AI-Driven World appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
If there is one thought that kept crossing my mind while reading Guy Winch’s book, Mind Over Grind, it was this: I wish I had this book twenty years ago. We spend a massive percentage of our waking hours at work — often more time than we spend at home with our families. Yet, the […]
The post Mind Over Grind, a Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Every once in a while, you pick up a book expecting a standard scientific overview and end up with a text that profoundly alters how you view yourself. Masud Husain’s Our Brains, Our Selves: What a Neurologist’s Patients Taught Him About the Brain is exactly that kind of book. It is, without reservation, one of […]
The post Our Brains, Our Selves, a Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We all want to get rich. And for three hundred years, we’ve been told how to do it: The problem? Most of that advice is newer than we think. And a lot of it hasn’t held up. That’s the premise of How to Get Rich in American History by Joseph S. Moore, PhD, one of […]
The post How to Get Rich in American History, a Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We’ve spent centuries mapping the physical world. Physics. Chemistry. Mathematics. We understand force, acceleration, and gravity — the laws that govern everything outside us. But what about the laws that govern what happens inside us? The way we reason, learn, make decisions, solve problems? That’s the question Tom Griffiths sets out to answer in The […]
The post The Laws of Thought, a Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Last year, I was in a community that asked a deceptively simple question: How do you play? It took me a minute to process the assignment. You see, I don’t play in the traditional sense. You won’t find me on the dance floor or the game field. But I have fun doing what I do, […]
The post Permission to Play: Playful, the Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Some books explain a person. Others explain a way of thinking. The Curious Mind of Elon Musk: Nine Ways He Thinks Differently does the latter, and in doing so, becomes far more than a biography. Charles Steel sets out to examine what makes Elon Musk different. Not simply what he has accomplished, but how he […]
The post The Curious Mind of Elon Musk: a Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
As marketing becomes more competitive, the demand for quality content is at an all-time high. Enter AI writing tools, the game changers transforming the way we create. These innovative technologies support every aspect of content creation and strategy, from generating compelling copy to improving efficiency and enhancing engagement and results. As we delve into how […]
The post Unlocking Success: How AI Writing Tools Are Revolutionizing Content Creation appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
As technological advances go, AI may be the most pivotal yet. Historically, innovation has driven progress in areas like food production, knowledge, and travel. But AI is unlike anything we’ve seen before. “AI has the power to be more transformative than electricity or fire.” — Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google It accelerates progress, powering smarter […]
The post AI for Business Growth: 7 Ways It Can Transform Your Business appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Founders are idea people. We love coming up with ideas. What we don’t like is taking the time to validate offers. The common assumption is if the idea is good, it will sell. But the truth is, plenty of great ideas flop. It’s not because they’re unoriginal or uninspired. It’s because they were built in […]
The post How to Validate Offers Before You Launch Them appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
The perfect offer launch is a myth. I’ve launched offers that flopped and some that sold out. The difference? A strong launch requires timing, clarity, positioning, and momentum. You must validate your idea and warm up your audience before you even start selling. In this article, we’ll cover four mistakes we often fall into when launching […]
The post Launching a New Offer: 4 Fatal Mistakes & How to Do It Right appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Some people believe leadership begins in the boardroom. I believe it begins at home—or more precisely, in how we live. As a professional, leadership might look like building a team, casting a vision, and steering through a high-stakes pivot. As a founder, it could mean bootstrapping your business—navigating uncertainty, trusting your instincts, and growing something […]
The post Embodied Leadership: The Modern Leader’s Operating System appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
You have a solid product. A capable team. Marketing is consistent. Sales has a process. And yet… growth stalls. Revenue plateaus. Meetings drag. Your most talented people start to disengage. You throw more tactics at the problem—more tools, more consultants, more pressure—but nothing moves the needle. Here’s the hard truth: you don’t have a tactical […]
The post The Growth Multiplier: How Leadership Directly Impacts Company Performance appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We’re entering an era where authority can be faked, and anyone can call themselves a leader. But real authority isn’t what you say about yourself—it’s the experience others have of you. And if you want to lead, influence, and grow today, you need more than a personal brand. You need an authority ecosystem that works […]
The post Authority Ecosystem: How to Fuel Awareness, Trust, and Growth appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
For years, local SEO has been about optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP), collecting 5-star reviews, building citations, and using the right keywords. These tactics helped you rank in the Map Pack, drive foot traffic, and convert nearby customers. But AI is changing the game. With the rise of generative search and tools like ChatGPT, […]
The post AIO and Local SEO: What the AI Revolution Means for Local Businesses appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
For the last two decades, SEO has been about keywords, backlinks, and website-centric content. But AI is disrupting that model. Today: What’s the path forward? In this article, we’ll explore the shift toward AI-optimized SEO (AIO), the new SEO strategy for traffic and authority, and how to remain visible, credible, and discoverable. EEAT Was Only […]
The post Forget Keywords. This Is the New SEO appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Today, we’re talking about how to leverage SEO and AIO to rank in both search and AI results. This is the new SEO, optimized for AI, which like it or not is the future of optimization. TL;DR Remember when you could keyword-stuff your way to the top of Google? Or when building a few quality […]
The post SEO in the AI Era: The AIO Playbook appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
By integrating AI into your marketing strategy, you’re not just staying current—you’re shaping the future of your industry. Sound like an overstatement? Today, AI in marketing is essential for gaining a competitive edge. When AI first emerged, it was viewed more as a writing tool than anything else. It was relegated to top-of-funnel activities with […]
The post AI in Marketing: How to Stay Ahead of the Competition appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Want better engagement with your content? You have about three seconds to hook their attention. And the best way to do that is to study the masters — 1950’s ad men. David Ogilvy said it best in his book Ogilvy on Advertising: “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read […]
The post 9 Headline Formulas You Can Use to Boost Social Engagement appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
In Breaking Bias, Anu Gupta doesn’t just offer a book—he extends an invitation to embark on a deeply personal and transformative journey into the roots of bias and its far-reaching impact. This is no dry academic tome but a vibrant, thoughtful guide that challenges readers to confront their own ingrained assumptions while equipping them with […]
The post Breaking Bias: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
When ChatGPT burst onto the scene, it didn’t just introduce a new tool — it ushered in a new era of marketing. What was once the stuff of science fiction suddenly became a reality, with AI transforming how we connect with audiences, craft compelling campaigns, and achieve business goals. By automating routine tasks and simplifying […]
The post A Marketer’s Guide to the Best AI Tools for 2024 appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
If you’re into entrepreneurship or dreaming of starting your own disruptive company, Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future, by Mike Maples Jr. and Peter Ziebelman, is a must-read. First off, Mike Maples Jr. and Peter Ziebelman are big names in the venture capital world, and they know a thing or two about spotting […]
The post Pattern Breakers: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
In recent years, there’s been a move within companies to consolidate the teams that drive revenue. It makes sense on the surface — get them all on the same page, working together, and revenue should improve, right? But there’s a problem. The focus of this effort is usually on uniting Marketing and Sales. Marketing still […]
The post Marketing vs. Sales? It’s Not Even the Right Question appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
A content strategy is a simple plan for achieving the goals and growth metrics your content program is responsible for. It sounds complicated, but after 20 years as a content strategist, I can assure you it’s quite simple. Keep reading for my ultra-easy guide to creating a content strategy that drives real results without a […]
The post Content Strategy: Here’s a Simple Plan that Just Works appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We talk a lot about quality content. But what exactly does that mean? Learn what quality content is, plus 13 checkpoints for ensuring your content is the highest quality possible. What Is Quality Content? Quality content is content that exceeds expectations. It surprises and delights. It engages people on multiple levels. And it holds their […]
The post Quality Content: What Is It, Why It Matters, and a 13-Point Checklist appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Marketing has been getting harder. Have you noticed? I started seeing early signs of this shift about seven years ago. I watched it accelerate during the pandemic. And I see no signs it will improve in the future. In fact, I expect it to get harder. Why? Because it’s part of a bigger trend that […]
The post Digital Maturity: Marketing Has Come of Age & That Changes Everything appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
I originally published Content Shock in December 2014, and it’s as relevant today as it was then, possibly more so. I’m republishing it today, nearly ten years later, with a few notes on what I’m seeing in 2024. (Scroll down to see the 2014 article.) 2024: From Content Shock to Market Shock When Mark Shaefer […]
The post Set Your Marketing Strategy to Avoid Content Shock appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
What do Amazon, Apple, and Mercedes-Benz have in common? They’re among the world’s most valuable brands. We recognize them by their logo, a tagline, or a jingle. And we stand in line for hours to be among the first to own one of their products. These companies are associated with quality. You only have to see […]
The post Build a Better Brand (4 Steps) appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We’re experiencing a perfect storm in marketing and sales. It’s affecting every industry and will change the future of marketing. If that sounds like an exaggeration, bear with me. I’ve been studying this for the last decade, watching trends and changes in the market. I first noticed it when it affected my own results in […]
The post The Perfect Storm: Rethinking Marketing in a Brave New World appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Marketing for SaaS takes more than a content marketing strategy, promotions aimed at your target audience, and advertising. And it goes beyond MQLs (marketing-qualified leads) and SQLs (sales-qualified leads). Because in SaaS, not only must you attract and convert new prospects, you must retain and upsell existing users. That said, a SaaS marketing plan doesn’t need […]
The post SaaS Marketing: A Revenue-First Approach appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
I love a good success story. When the unlikely hero overcomes every obstacle to reach impossible heights, it feels like anything is possible. Think Luke Skywalker in Star Wars… Ellie in The Last of Us… and more recently, Jann Mardenborough in Gran Turismo. Movies are filled with these types of stories. But in real life, […]
The post BackStage Pass: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
“Wow, I need to read this one every year!” I had just slammed the book closed, mind racing, feeling excited about my plans for the year. So you know, I don’t do that very often. But with Million Dollar Weekend, it was my first reaction, like that feeling you get at the end of an […]
The post Million Dollar Weekend: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
In 2023, 4.3 billion people worldwide — half the world’s population — used email. By the end of 2026, that number is expected to be 4.7 billion, with more users and each user having multiple email accounts. Bottom line, getting email right is key to better marketing results. In 2023, the average results for email […]
The post Email Personalization: What It Is and How to Do It Right appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
When you need to get things done quickly and effectively — especially if you have limited time, power, or resources — you need a guide to scrappiness. You need a playbook for finding new, creative ways to get from here to there. And that’s just what you get in Paulo Savaget’s book, The Four Workarounds: […]
The post The Four Workarounds: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
In the wild world of marketing, where the landscape changes as frequently as your Aunt Betty’s Facebook profile picture, it’s hard to keep up. It also becomes harder and harder to deliver measurable results. I often get an email asking how I manage to drive traffic, engagement, and leads when their results are stagnant. They’re […]
The post Does Scrappiness Belong in Modern Marketing? appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
I never thought of curiosity as anything other than inquisitiveness. Curiosity killed the cat and all that. But Scott Shigeoka has opened my eyes. In his book Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World, Shigeoka turns curiosity into a science, a leadership trait, and an essential ingredient in the art of […]
The post Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World – Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
If you’re feeling a little lost on your success journey, you may need to replace your massive to-do list with a mindset adjustment. And for that, Lewis Howes could be your best resource. His book, The Greatness Mindset: Unlock the Power of Your Mind and Live Your Best Life Today, is a powerful guide for […]
The post The Greatness Mindset: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
How do the world’s most successful companies remain agile and innovative? How do they consistently launch new products and services that generate raving fans? According to Behnam Tabrizi, author of Going On Offense, they develop a winning mindset, a dedication to perpetual innovation and relentless experimentation. For most companies, that’s not business as usual. And […]
The post Going on Offense: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Good advice is rarely anything you haven’t heard before. That’s the challenge for coaches. Their unique blend of tricks and advice may work in a live session, but when they try to package it into a book, it loses its magic. Readers are likely to shrug their shoulders and say, “Yeah, I’ve heard that before.” […]
The post Stay Sane in an Insane World: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
The old saying, “it’s not what you know but who you know,” is more true today than ever. We live in a social world, and it’s never been easier to connect with and engage with people from around the globe. So when Michelle Tillis Lederman asked me to review her book, The Connector’s Advantage, I […]
The post The Connector’s Advantage: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We each have a unique vision of success. So why do we all follow the same path to get there? That’s the question that kicked off the enviable success story of Matt Higgins, author of Burn the Boats. His journey began with the simple desire to build a career as quickly as possible so he […]
The post Burn the Boats, by Matt Higgins: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
If you’re going to dream, dream big. But once you know where you want to go, you need to plan your route for getting there, because unfulfilled dreams can fester and make you unhappy. That’s the trick, though, isn’t it? How do you get from here to that big audacious goal? If you knew, you’d […]
The post The Shortcut (A Book Review) appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
When it comes to business growth, there’s no real hack, unless you’re talking about the ability to stay calm, cool, and collected in the midst of crisis. I know… that doesn’t feel like a hack, does it? I thought so too before I read Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High, […]
The post Real-Time Leadership: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
I read To the Top because of a run-in with my alma mater. Let me explain… A few weeks ago, I got a fundraising call from the university, and since I’m a huge supporter of quality education, I happily donated. Then, last week, the thank-you letter arrived… Thanking my husband. While we both graduated from […]
The post To the Top: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Emerging, schemerging. The updated business classic, True North, may be meant for Millennials, but leaders of all ages can benefit from the Emerging Leader Edition, co-written by Bill George and Zach Clayton. Here are my takeaways as a not-so-emerging leader. About the Authors Bill George is a senior fellow at Harvard Business School, where he’s […]
The post True North, Emerging Leader Edition: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We’ve all got our go-to avoidance strategy — that thing we do to avoid dealing with big emotions in difficult situations. It may be humor, anger, or workaholism, but we all do something. And it’s making things worse, according to Dr. Alex Wills, founder of Perma Mental Health and author of Give a F*ck, Actually. […]
The post Give a F*uck Actually (Book Review) appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
We’re often inspired by the culture of fast-growing companies. But the things we tend to notice — like casual Fridays, a 4-day work week, or Ping-Pong tables in the breakroom — aren’t actually culture. They’re perks. Thanks to Matt Mayberry, author of Culture Is the Way, I have a deeper grasp of the importance of […]
The post Culture Is the Way: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Too often, entrepreneurship is an exercise in failure. Even with a winning idea, the odds are against you. There’s a 20% chance you’ll fail in Year 1. That increases to 50% by Year 5. And only 30% will survive beyond 10 years. With odds like that, should you even try? By all means, yes! Because […]
The post Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
Most business books are dry as toast. You know you’d benefit from the information, but you can barely keep your eyes open every time you sit down to read. Not so with this book. The Rice and Beans Millionaire: The Tale of an Improbable Entrepreneur, by Bryan and Jeffrey Eisenberg, is a primer for entrepreneurship. […]
The post The Rice and Beans Millionaire: A Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
After nearly 20 years in marketing, you tend to believe you already know everything there is to know about scarcity. So when I ran across The Power of Scarcity: Leveraging Urgency & Demand to Influence Customer Decisions, by Mindy Weinstein, PhD, I had to dive in. What could she possibly add to the topic to […]
The post The Power of Scarcity: Book Review appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
If you’re trying to scale your small business but feel like you’re spinning your wheels, you’re probably searching for tools, resources, and advice from every “guru” who says they’ve got the answer. Trouble is, most of those people haven’t actually done what they teach. Behind all the hype, they’re struggling too. I’ve read dozens of […]
The post From 6 to 7 Figures (Book Review) appeared first on Kathryn Aragon.
To grow your business, you need content. But the type of content you need depends on what you’re trying to achieve. You see, different types of content drive different results. And if you’re looking for a strategy that supports the entire customer journey, you don’t need one type of content. You need four distinct content […]
A few years ago, as mothers often do, I helped my son with a school project. This was no ordinary project. In our feeble attempts to give the teacher what she wanted, we spent the night scouring the web, reading scholarly reports, and scratching our heads. Looking back, I’m not sure the teacher understood this […]
More than three-fourths of small businesses say they do at least 25% of their marketing on social media. And 7 out of 10 say social media has been somewhat or very effective. (Buffer) Even so, many businesses don’t feel confident that they’re getting the most out of social: Where’s the ROI? How do I define […]
Video content has been rising in popularity for the last decade. Today, tech has finally caught up. Even small brands have unlimited video types and usages at their fingertips, making it easy to leverage video to attract, engage, and convert your best customers. It doesn’t hurt that in 2020, video became our primary way to […]
My friend, Ann Smarty has been managing and growing communities for as long as I’ve known her. So when she offered this post on building community engagement, I was all-in. Put her tips to work. She knows what she’s talking about. —Kathryn Creating an effective social media strategy is hard. Managing community engagement? That’s social […]
Content marketing has been the number-one marketing strategy for the last 10 to 15 years. But content marketing isn’t new. Since the invention of the printing press in 1436, businesses and thought leaders have been publishing pamphlets, books, and magazines that inform, engage, and persuade. Perhaps the most notable example is Benjamin Franklin, who many […]
Achieving your most audacious goals doesn’t happen by accident. Explore the Authority Journey and what it takes to influence, lead, and succeed. Or tune in with your favorite player: iTunes Spotify Google Podcasts Acast Stitcher TuneIn Pocket Casts Deezer Breaker SHOW NOTES: Welcome to the Authority Journey Podcast! Achieving your most audacious goals doesn’t happen […]
There’s no disputing the value of a business blog. The challenge is keeping it up and keeping the quality high. To help, I’ve compiled a list of 33 blog post ideas that are relatively easy to develop. They’ll give you a headstart on be high-value, high-quality content without having to spend a lot of time […]
To grow your business, nothing beats email marketing. It will help you drive leads, nurture relationships, and build powerful automations. But for that to happen, you need email services that are simple to use, with advanced features you can tap into as you grow. After trying and testing most top-named email service providers, these are […]
Achieving your most audacious goals doesn’t happen by accident. Explore the Authority Journey and what it takes to influence, lead, and succeed. Or tune in with your favorite player: iTunes Spotify Google Podcasts Acast Stitcher TuneIn Pocket Casts Deezer Breaker SHOW NOTES: Welcome to the Authority Journey Podcast! Achieving your most audacious goals doesn’t happen […]