Stay on the Bus: Why Persistence Matters in Business and Storytelling - Ep.108. Join Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney as they welcome Chris Grimes to the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak podcast. Chris is a facilitator, coach, podcaster and self-described "motivational comedian" who has mastered the art of drawing powerful stories from people through his unique storytelling framework. In this episode, Chris shares his journey from acting to becoming a professional story curator, and reveals how his Legacy L...
Nov 12, 2025•54 min
Mastering Zoom: Expert Tips on Virtual Backgrounds, Breakout Rooms, and Hidden Features Ep. 107 Join hosts Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney as they interview John Drinkwater, aka "Lord Zoom," to uncover game-changing Zoom features and techniques that most users don't know about. From mastering breakout rooms to creating professional-looking presentations, this episode is packed with practical tips for anyone who regularly uses Zoom for meetings, presentations or networking. John shares his journey o...
Nov 05, 2025•53 min
Building Successful Memberships: Strategies for Recurring Revenue with Nathalie Doremieux - Ep. 106. In this insightful episode of the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak Podcast, hosts Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney welcome Nathalie Doremieux, co-founder of The Membership Lab and Podcast Leadflow. With 20 years of business experience, Nathalie shares her expertise on creating successful membership models that generate reliable recurring income. The conversation explores why memberships work, how to identify...
Oct 29, 2025•50 min
How Your Team's Emotions Impact Customer Experience with Sarah Dena - Ep. 105 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Sarah Dena, Managing Director of New Wave Learning and founder of The Cultivators. Sarah introduces us to the Emotional Culture Deck, a powerful tool for understanding and leveraging emotions in the workplace. Sarah explains how emotions drive behaviour and why developing emotional literacy is essential for both internal team dynamics and externa...
Oct 22, 2025•50 min
Why Your Business Needs a Nearbound Strategy: Referral Marketing Secrets Revealed with Dave Plunkett - Ep. 104. In this insightful episode of the Giraffes Don't Eat Steak podcast, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Dave Plunkett, a Nearbound Specialist who shares his expertise on transforming word-of-mouth marketing into a deliberate, strategic channel for business growth. Dave explains the concept of "Nearbound" marketing - leveraging trusted human connections to generate referrals in an authentic ye...
Oct 15, 2025•47 min
Building a Sustainable Business: B Corp Certification Explained with Martin Knowles - Ep.103 Discover how B Corp certification is transforming businesses with Martin Knowles from Sales Untangled. Learn practical sustainability strategies that go beyond greenwashing to create meaningful impact. Want to make your business more sustainable but don't know where to start? Listen now to get actionable insights from a certified B Corp expert! Chapters 00:00 Welcome to the podcast with Martin Knowles 02...
Oct 08, 2025•38 min
The Future of Marketing and Sales: Real-World AI Applications with Mickael Aubard - Ep.102 In this illuminating episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome back Mickael Aubard to discuss AI's transformative impact on marketing workflows. Mickael shares how his work at AdManage.ai is saving media buyers hundreds of hours monthly by automating repetitive ad creation tasks. The conversation explores how AI differs from traditional automation tools, with examples of time-saving...
Oct 01, 2025•45 min
Making Your Clients the Rock Star: B2B Sales Psychology | Giraffes Don't Eat Steak Ep. 101. Join Erica and Alex as they sit down with Ronald Gall, a veteran of the insurance industry and founder of a cutting-edge AI data transformation company. With over 20 years of experience in B2B sales, Ron shares his insights on reading the room, building lasting business relationships, and turning clients into rock stars within their own organisations. This video shares essential business tips and sales te...
Sep 24, 2025•50 min
In this special 100th episode, hosts Alex Bilney and Erica Mackay take a journey through their favourite podcast moments. From the essential "Nail in the Foot" marketing theory to the importance of brand storytelling and niche targeting, they unpack the most impactful insights from their first 100 episodes. Key concepts covered include: • The difference between urgent and non-urgent customer pain points • How to leverage your brand's origin story • The critical importance of rapid lead response ...
Sep 17, 2025•1 hr
Vulnerability in Business Development and Sales: Why Authenticity Beats Scripts Every Time - Ep.99 In this insightful conversation with business development expert James Slade, discover why showing vulnerability might be your strongest business asset. James shares his journey from selling gym memberships to advising Formula One engineers, revealing the psychology behind successful sales conversations. Learn why most sales scripts fail, how asking the right questions transforms prospects into eva...
Sep 10, 2025•52 min
Why Collaboration Marketing Works: Building Relationships Over Transactions with Gill Tiney Ep. 98 In this week's episode, Erica and Alex welcome Gill Tiney from Collaboration Global to discuss why most businesses waste resources marketing to audiences who will never buy from them. Discover how you can achieve better results by building relationships rather than chasing numbers. Gill shares powerful insights on: - Why you probably only need a smaller number of clients per month than you think (n...
Sep 03, 2025•52 min
Building Meaningful Corporate-Charity Relationships with Caroline Sinclair of Ronald McDonald House Ep. 97 Discover how charities and businesses can create meaningful partnerships that benefit everyone. In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, Caroline Sinclair from Ronald McDonald House Charities UK shares insights on building effective corporate partnerships despite economic challenges. Learn how Ronald McDonald House provides crucial free accommodation for families with children in hospit...
Aug 27, 2025•44 min
Creating VIP Experiences for Every Guest: Champagne Festivals and Luxury Events Ep. 96 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome Michela Gordon, Managing Director of Javelin, to discuss the extraordinary success of their champagne festivals in South Africa. From humble beginnings with just 15 champagne houses in a small room to now hosting elaborate events with 40+ houses and 500 guests per night, Mikaela shares insights on what makes these luxury events special. ...
Aug 20, 2025•34 min
Gaming Your Way to Better Business: How Roleplay Helps Build Better Businesses - Nick Drage - Ep. 95 In this fascinating episode, hosts Erica and Alex are joined by Nick Drage, a cybersecurity expert with a diverse portfolio career. They explore how a viral LinkedIn post experiment revealed insights about online engagement versus real connections, and Nick shares his approach to creating meaningful conversations through cybersecurity games. This episode delivers practical insights on change mana...
Aug 13, 2025•50 min
Master Media Communication with Michael Dodd: Handling Tough Questions Like a Pro - Ep. 94 In this illuminating episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, hosts Erica and Alex welcome communication expert Michael Dodd, a former journalist turned media trainer who specialises in helping people give great answers to tough questions. Michael shares his journey from being a political correspondent in Australia to training business leaders worldwide on effective communication. He reveals his expertise in a...
Aug 06, 2025•52 min
Design After Marketing: Why Your Brand Strategy Can't Stop at the Logo (with Simon Hutchings) Ep. 93 Your marketing is beautiful. Your logo converts. Your website is pixel-perfect. So why are clients quietly slipping away after they've signed on the dotted line? The answer lies in what design expert Simon Hutchings calls "design after marketing" - the moment when businesses stop caring about brand consistency and start sending ugly Word document contracts, off-brand PowerPoint presentations, and...
Jul 30, 2025•50 min
Virtual Assistant Reality Check: What They Can Do vs What You Think They Can Do - Ep. 92 Here's the thing about virtual assistants - most people get it completely wrong. They hire a VA expecting them to magically generate leads and run their entire marketing strategy. That's not how it works. In this episode, Carmen Williams from Global Teams breaks down the real truth about working with virtual assistants. You'll discover exactly what VAs can do, what they can't do, and how to set up your remot...
Jul 23, 2025•43 min
Clear Brief on One Page - Why Most Design Projects Fail Before They Start | Ep. 91 Mark Wojcicki has been a graphic designer for over 40 years. At nearly 65, he's returned to his first love - fine art - and he's applying everything he knows about marketing to sell his work. The result? 10 commissions lined up and multiple sales from his first exhibition. In this episode, Mark shares how marketing principles work across any industry, what makes a design brief actually work, and why some brands ar...
Jul 16, 2025•50 min
Stop Making Explainer Videos Until You Watch This! | B2B Video Marketing Truth - Ep.90 Most B2B explainer videos are expensive failures. Here's why - and how to fix yours. Chris Walker from Joe Mule joins Erica Mackay and Alex Bilney to expose the brutal truth about B2B video marketing. After 20 years creating videos for tech, SaaS and finance companies, Chris reveals why most businesses completely miss the mark with their explainer videos. In this episode, you'll discover: - The #1 mistake that...
Jul 09, 2025•54 min
How to Stand Out on Social Media with the Canva Queen - Stephanie Wium | Episode 89 Ever feel like your social media graphics look exactly like everyone else's? You're probably using Canva templates wrong! Join Erica as she chats with Stephanie Wium, the self-proclaimed "Canva Queen" and official Canva Community Ambassador. Stephanie shares her journey from soul-destroying VA work to becoming a sought-after visual content strategist who learned Canva after turning 50. Discover why "ripping templ...
Jul 02, 2025•22 min
Stop Wasting Money on Cheap Pens: The Psychology of Promotional Merchandise - Ep. 88 What if everything you thought you knew about promotional merchandise was wrong? In this eye-opening episode, Gary Bucci from GB Merchandise (27 years in the industry) completely reframes how we should think about promotional products. Forget asking "what can I get for £100?" - Gary explains why that's killing your ROI before you even start. You'll discover: - Why one client's £600 Remarkables outperformed £3,00...
Jun 25, 2025•43 min
Are You A Prime Hacking Target - Here's How to Protect You And Your Business | Francis West - Ep. 87 - and it's not your content that's the problem! In this eye-opening episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, cybersecurity expert Francis West reveals why marketing agencies are prime targets for hackers and how new email security requirements from Google, Yahoo, and Microsoft could be destroying your email deliverability. Topics Covered; Why 99% of UK small businesses aren't adequately protected The...
Jun 18, 2025•45 min
The Marketing-to-Product Manager Pivot: Building Digital Products That Scale - Ep. 86. Join Erica and Alex as they reunite with former colleague Eszter Somogyi-Vass, who made the successful transition from marketing to product management at Profession.hu, Hungary's leading job board. What You'll Learn: How marketing skills translate perfectly to product management The key differences between B2B and B2C product teams Why product and marketing must share the same KPIs to avoid silos How to manage...
Jun 11, 2025•43 min
Accidental Branding: Is Your Business Sending the Wrong Signals? Ep. 85. Are you building an "accidental brand" that's working against your business goals? In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, marketing experts Erica and Alex speak with brand specialist Nikki Shield about how businesses unknowingly create brand impressions that don't align with their true personality or business objectives. Discover why your brand exists whether you've created it intentionally or not, and learn practical...
Jun 04, 2025•39 min
Building Trust and Finding Sellers: Real Estate Marketing with Sandy Graham - Ep. 84. Welcome back to Giraffes Don’t Eat Steak, the podcast serving up marketing wisdom, business stories and a side of inspiration for anyone looking to up their game. In today’s episode, Alex and Erica are joined by special guest Sandy Graham, a real estate expert based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a longtime friend of the show. Together, they dive into Sandy’s unique journey from accidental estate agent to s...
May 28, 2025•44 min
From Ancient Egypt to Modern Copywriting | Charlotte Booth on Writing for Business - Ep. 83 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, we're joined by Charlotte Booth, a copywriter with a fascinating journey from academia to business writing. Charlotte shares her unique transition from being an Egyptologist with 17 published books to becoming a sought-after copywriter helping businesses communicate effectively. Charlotte offers valuable insights on the key differences between various types of ...
May 21, 2025•51 min
Global Marketig Strategies | Marketing Lessons with Javier Del Olmo - Ep. 82 In this episode of Giraffes Don't Eat Steak, host Erica reconnects with Javier del Olmo, a seasoned insurance marketing expert, for a candid conversation about marketing strategies, vendor management and the importance of personal relationships in business. They reflect on their shared experience trying to implement television advertising for insurance products across different markets, highlighting why global strategie...
May 14, 2025•33 min
Harnessing Mindset Power with Michele from MindShift Theory - Ep. 81 In this episode, host Erica welcomes Michelle Collison from Mindshift Theory to discuss how understanding your client's pain points creates win-win marketing opportunities. Michelle shares how her company creates custom-branded mindset journals and explains why focusing on pain points rather than demographic personas leads to more authentic connections and business growth. Key insights include: • Why marketing to clients who ar...
May 07, 2025•31 min
80% More Leads: Personalisation Strategies That Actually Work! - Ep. 80 In this value-packed conversation, Alex and Erica chat with Amber Williamson, CEO of Digital Willow, about navigating complex buyer journeys in today's digital landscape. Discover how personalisation increased leads by 80% and where the line between effective and creepy marketing lies. Amber reveals why real people trump polished brand content every time, shares her surprising insights on Reddit as a marketing platform, and ...
Apr 30, 2025•42 min
Website Development Done Right: The Collaborative Approach to Digital Success - Ep.79 In this episode, Alex talks with Dawid Zimny from NerdCow, a web design agency that specialises in "untangling the chaos" for B2B and SaaS companies. David explains their unique approach to web development that focuses heavily on stakeholder alignment, collaborative workshops, and understanding the true business problems behind website requests. Key topics include why involving all stakeholders early prevents c...
Apr 23, 2025•43 min
